Stormy Waters
by SeaKat01
Summary: Problems for one of the team when they're crash sailed with a temporary CO. Will include whole cast with appearances from old faces. Set post season 4/5. Final chapter posted 27 July 2012
1. A Night Off

_**AN:** There will be several chapters/parts (currently around 6 and counting) I've become a big fan of SP in the last few months having discovered it by accident on UK TV._

_More of the crew appear again in the next chapter, but initially little of Kate/Mike._ _I've included Ryan, but given him his own nickname to distinguish between him and Maxine._

_Disclaimer - Not owned by me, just borrowed for a while.  
_

**1. A Night Off**

"Guava Mojo's!" announced Charge enthusiastically placing a tray on the table.

"Thanks Charge!" Bomber responded as everyone helped themselves and she waved her glass in the air.

The crew of the Hammersley were sharing a night out at their home base in Cairns. Bomber and Sally had both ventured out with the crew, giving them a rare chance at catching up with friends. For Sally and Swain it was a rare night out as a couple while their 4 year old daughter was being taken care of by a neighbour for a few hours.

In one corner the new Gap year student, Ryan "Buck" White and Bird were sharing stories over soft drinks as the team had carefully avoided allowing them alcohol.

The bar was buzzing with several ships in dock as it became home to celebrating sailors. As an outsider you could often wonder how it survived a quiet night when all the ships were out as most of its patrons were connected with the shipyard down the street.

"Hey! Surprise, you got room for 2 more to join the party?" A voice echoed behind the group and they all looked up, Dutchy glanced at the others and noticed the delighted look of his shipmates and realised the new arrivals were well known to them.

"Buff! Spider!" Bomber almost squealed and hugged them before being pulled back to her seat by a slightly jealous 2-dads.

"Always room for 2 more," boomed Charge, as the rest of the table greeted their old shipmates. "How are you guys? Wasn't expecting you to drop in."

"Yeah well, we heard you were partying without us," grinned Buffer.

"Thought you were based out of Melbourne now, moved on to better things," 2-dads added.

"Yeah, we are, we're on our way back to base from a good will visit to Malaysia and had to stop over for something or other, so we got ourselves a free pass to look up the old gang."

"It's good to see you." Swain smiled.

"It's good to be back, is everyone here?" Buffer asked looking around.

"Not yet, our former CO may drop in later, the former X is now CO and on her way to Canberra for a course. We got ourselves a new X started last patrol."

"And the new X?" He added, like he was drawing blood from a stone.

"I doubt it," muttered RO in his usual style.

"Not drinking Dutchy?" asked 2-dads noticing he hadn't touched the drink Charge had brought.

"I'll pass, I know what happened the last time we were faced with the mojo, 'scuse me I'm going for beer, anyone want anything?"

"Beer's good, Spide?" answered Buffer.

"You're not going to pass up the mojo, are you?" he replied reaching for Dutchy's untouched glass as the other man walked away.

**...**

Dutchy looked around while waiting to be served and saw her sitting alone at the bar. She looked about his age, her hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, she had an air of grace and elegance about her, like she didn't belong there, that she wasn't comfortable there. He offered her a polite smile as her eyes met his after looking around.

"Dutchy, what can I get you?" the bartender asked.

"2 beers," the guy turned away, "hey Frank, who's the lady?" He gestured to the woman at the bar after the man turned around.

"No idea, she came in about 20 minutes ago, seems like she's waiting for someone."

"Get her whatever she wants." Dutchy instructed, "looks like she could use it."

"Sure, whatever you say." Frank answered, with a mischievous grin, "she's out of your league you know."

"So where would the challenge be if she wasn't?" he grinned, keeping half an eye on the woman as she checked her messages on her phone.

The bartender went about his business dropping the two beers in front of Dutchy before approaching the woman, he watched them speak for a moment then she looked over and smiled. He half saluted her and turned back to the table with the Hammersley crew, who were involved in some loud discussion. He handed Buffer the bottle of beer and headed back to the bar, but she had disappeared. He looked around then caught sight of her outside standing against the railing of the balcony overlooking the Marina. Edging through the crowds he made his way outside and stood next to her.

She looked across to him, "thank you for the drink."

"You're welcome, looks like you were stood up, anyone important?" Dutchy asked leaning on the railing.

"A friend, we were supposed to meet here after she docked, but I just got a message that she won't be in until tomorrow."

"Navy?" He questioned.

She ignored the possible double meaning of the question. "HMAS Kingston. They hit a tropical storm and had to deal with a number of maydays."

"I heard there was one coming, they can be nasty if you're at sea. So that's your friend, what about you?" He smoothly moved from one conversation to steer them to another.

"I've just arrived in town, I'm heading north tomorrow to see my father for a few days before starting a new job," she admitted.

"So how far north are we talking?" he asked.

"Just west of Port Douglas, he owns a ranch on the edge of the Platypus Creek Scientific Area."

"And the new job?" he asked, causing her to look at him again.

"You ask a lot of questions." She stated, shutting down the interrogation for a moment or two.

"I'm sorry, goes with the job. I'm used to dealing with foreign fishermen and illegals, Petty Officer Dylan Mulholland, my ship mates call me Dutchy," he turned to face her and held out his hand.

"Elena Larkin," she answered simply, holding out her hand and shaking his. "Nice to meet you and thank you for the drink, but I have to go, I need to find a place to stay tonight." She put down her wine glass and settled her bag strap on her shoulder.

"You're disappearing on me already?" He joked, taking her hand.

"I'm sure we'll run into each other again, but with a friend still at sea my accommodation for tonight is inaccessible so I have to find a motel or something."

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked, holding her gaze and ignoring the comment about accommodation.

"No, Megan and I were going to eat together, but I'll find something, there's got to be a restaurant or something around here that's still open."

"We'll if you don't object to sea food I know this great little place up the coast a few miles, no sailors or tourists and the sea view is to die for."

She smiled and pulled her hand back, "I don't think that's a good idea,"

He shook his head and grinned at her, "why waste a good evening? I promise I won't ask too many questions."

Elena thought for a moment, it had been a long time since anyone had taken an interest in her and she was tempted, but something still held her back.

"Don't you want to spend the time with your friends?" she asked stalling again.

"They're catching up with some old crew, I doubt they'd miss me, besides, nothing can beat the company of a good woman."

Elena grinned, "and you think I'm good?" she taunted, gaining a slightly surprised glance in return.

"Well," he stalled a little in return, "I'd like the chance to find out."

"Don't you ever take no for an answer?" she asked, wondering what it would be like to say yes.

"Do you seriously want me to?" he chuckled, "Come on, I can see you're tempted, ... what harm can it do? ... One night, a bit of fun, dinner and a drive."

"You're right, I am tempted, but-"

"No buts, tell me when was the last time you were made an offer like this?"

She thought for a moment. "I honestly can't remember an offer like this, ... you don't have to feel sorry for me, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

"Who said anything about feeling sorry for you? You're a beautiful woman, a single one judging by the lack of a ring on your finger and what would be wrong in having a friendly chat over dinner?"

"And that's all? A friendly chat over dinner?"

"I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"Really? Why does that surprise me?" She knew she was taking a bit of a risk, she'd only just met the guy and there was a sense of taboo about him, but she was taken in by his eyes and his smile and for once she wanted to ignore the consequences and see where this led. Taunting him, watching his face light up with an amused smirk made her stomach flutter.

"You doubt me?" He asked.

"They do say sailors have a girl in every port. ... You look like you're the type of guy who'd fit that description."

"My ship mates might agree with you, but they don't know that of the three girls they've seen me with only one wasn't related and she was an old school friend. I might seem like the traditional sailor, but I'm happy to prove your theory wrong."

"Another time, I have things I need to do." She answered sweetly and turned to go, Dutchy watched her walk away, not exactly sure what just happened.

"Dutchy?" Swain called opening the door to the bar and sticking his head out, "Frank said you were out here, we're going to order food, do you want anything?"

Dutchy was still watching the stairs where the woman disappeared a moment earlier, he finally realised that someone was talking to him and turned to Swain.

"No, thanks, something just came up, I'll see you in a couple of days." He answered.

"The blonde at the bar?" Swain asked with a cheeky grin.

"She's something else."

"She turned you down then?" he questioned.

"You know I like a challenge."

"Good luck mate." Dutchy nodded as Swain ducked back inside and then he hurried down the steps to the parking lot, just in time to see her approach a convertible car.

"I always thought Cinderella's pumpkin had turned back into mice when she ran from the ball," he greeted standing in front of her as she opened the door, she looked over.

"And I suppose you're comparing yourself to the Prince?" she retorted with a hint of a challenge in her voice.

He grinned and shrugged, "why not? At least he tried to go after what he wanted."

"So now I'm Cinderella and you're the prince? If I remember rightly didn't that all end badly?"

"Only at first, it all worked out in the end," he answered smugly, "you saying you're not willing to try?"

"Do you always turn up like a bad penny?" she asked pausing for a moment against the open door.

"I think I like the Prince analogy better," he chuckled.

"Me too and we both know he didn't get what he wanted on their first meeting, now can you please move so I can leave?" she asked sweetly.

"Fine, if that's really what you want, but you'll kick yourself in the morning when you wonder what a fun night you passed up." He turned and walked away.

She watched for a few seconds and let out a deep breath, "Petty Officer Mulholland, stop right there," she commanded, making him stop; he smiled to himself before he turned around. "I'm probably going to regret this tomorrow, but what the hell, you've talked me into it."

He walked back to her and stopped in front of her. "See, that wasn't so hard." He mused, reaching out and gliding his hand down her hair and resting it along her jaw.

"You'd better make this worth my while," she announced, "after all I'll be giving up a good book and a night in front of a motel TV."

"Trust me, Elena, if nothing else it will be memorable." He answered, feeling her shiver as he said her name.

"Then let's get out of here." She stepped back breaking the physical contact and she held up her keys, "you can drive."

_

* * *

Please let me know what you think ..._ and thanks for reading

_SeaKat_


	2. Crash Sailed

_Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed._

**Part 2 – Crash Sailed**

By the time the following morning had rolled around the tropical storm which had held the Kingston at sea had caused havoc across Cape York north of Cairns. Few signs of the storm were visible around the town as Mike Flynn headed the call to report to NAVCOM, at the rush. His first thought was with Kate McGregor who was now in Canberra to assist with a training course, having flown out the night before. So now the question that concerned him was who would take charge of the Hammersley in Kate's absence, half hoping no one would be available and they'd have to send him. It was clear that there was about to be a major relief effort and he knew Hammersley would be sent out, however his hopes were soon dashed when Maxine informed him that he would be a key person in the command centre for co-ordinating everything.

Arriving at NAVCOM Mike found himself rushed straight into a briefing and then he had the honour of escorting Hammersley's temporary Commanding Officer onto the ship which had once been his home. He enjoyed the 30 minutes he spent aboard showing the CO around and introducing them to the few members of the crew who had already been called in. One of those he introduced was the new XO, an able chap by the name of James Gordon, known as Flash behind his back, although during duty hours most of the crew had finally got used to calling him "X" now that Kate had become the boss. He still felt the tug at his heartstrings when he disembarked, knowing that he was staying shore side once again.

...

Dutchy was the last to board hurrying across the gangplank and shooting a quick salute at the mascot as the crew followed with the supplies. He wasn't surprised when his late arrival attracted attention, although this morning he half wished he could have crept aboard unnoticed. His plans for the day had not only back-fired once, but twice, the former when his dinner companion from the night before had received an emergency call and left before breakfast, the latter when he received word the ship had been crash sailed and the days off he expected had been cancelled.

"I hear you picked up with a hot looking blonde last night that why you're late?" 2-dads teased, earning a glare from the late arrival.

"And what does that mean?" Dutchy asked tersely.

2-dads grinned, "well Swain said he saw you talking to one in the bar then you disappeared telling him you had other plans. What's she like? Was she worth it?"

Dutchy smiled to himself and shook his head, "that's between me and her, now shouldn't you be loading supplies?" he answered turning towards the door off the deck.

"I wonder if he'll see her again?" 2-Dads mused to another sailor, as he saw Dutchy and the XO meet by the door, he turned back to focus on the last of the supplies being loaded.

"X" Dutchy greeted his senior officer as they passed each other.

"Dutchy, stow your gear and report to the CO, she wants to see you before we sail and you can let her know everyone's on board and supplies are almost loaded, we'll be ready to go in about 10 minutes," instructed Lieutenant Gordon, the XO who replaced Kate when she stepped up to be CO, gaining acknowledgement from the Bosun as he hurried inside.

...

As he knocked on the door of the CO's cabin a few minutes later he wondered what she wanted. It wasn't normal for her to request to see him, especially before sailing. Hearing a female voice bid him enter, he opened the door enough to put his head inside. The first thing he noticed was her blond hair in a neat plait down her back, not the CO's normal style, but really it was none of his business.

For a few seconds she continued to write on the report in front of her, so he took the opportunity to formally announce his presence. "Boss, the X says we're all aboard and will be ready to sail in 10 minutes, the last of the supplies are being loaded now."

"Thank you, come in and close the door," came the unexpected response as she turned towards the door.

"Something wrong ma'am?" he asked glancing down the corridor and stepping inside, the request catching him off guard.

"Close the door Dylan."

Hearing his own name rather than rank or nickname finally made him pay attention and he looked at her properly, his own surprise spreading to shock across his face, the door forgotten. "Elena, what-?" he felt somewhat flustered. "You're-" he tried again to get his brain moving.

"Navy? Yes," she finally answered the unspoken question between them, rising from the chair and taking several steps further into the tiny cabin, putting more space between them.

For a moment he glared at her, wondering what kind of stunt she was pulling. When she didn't seem inclined to say anything further he launched in with both feet. "You lied to me?" he whispered harshly.

She kept her voice calm and controlled as she responded. "No, I didn't, ... I just didn't tell you everything about me."

"So did you get your kicks out of last night?" He glared.

"You were the one that talked me into dinner not the other way around."

Dutchy glanced furtively up and down the corridor outside her cabin again to ensure no-one could overhear them, then closed the door. "You know some of the crew may have seen us?" He already knew that Swain and 2-dads had some idea he'd chatted up a blond woman. If either of them had got a good look at her they were all screwed.

"We did nothing wrong last night, I didn't know until I got that phone call this morning that I was being recalled for duty early, I didn't know why until I reported to NAVCOM. Trust me I'm just as surprised as you are."

"So what are you supposed to be doing?" He hissed, anger raging at the thought she had hidden this vital information from him. He'd been open with her about his career, why hadn't she done the same?

"I told you, a desk job in an office, ... we can't talk about this any further right now, ... are you going to have a problem with me being on board?"

"Doesn't look like I have a choice," he grumbled, his eyes still glaring at her.

"In that case Petty Officer Mulholland, pipe specials, we sail in 15 minutes."

"Yes, Ma'am," he acknowledged contemptuously and turned to open the door, then paused and turned back to her, "you could have told me you know." He tightened his hand on the door in an attempt to stop the anger escalating. Could it really be true that she hadn't known she would be posted as CO? But that didn't explain why she hadn't told him she was Navy.

"Well I didn't, so deal with it." Elena snapped.

"I would've called, would you have told me then?" he glared at her, referring to the phone number he had found after she'd left his place.

"Probably, maybe, why is it so important?" She asked, not giving in to his tantrum.

"Because I don't like being lied to," he hissed again, to keep his voice down and prevent any passerby overhearing.

"I didn't lie, yeah I omitted telling you I'm navy and that I'm here on a shore posting at NAVCOM," Pausing to take a breath they glared uneasily at each other, "I never reveal everything about me the first night, I also don't usually sleep with anyone the first night either, so get over yourself and let's focus on the job at hand. I believe I issued some instructions Petty Officer." Elena half expected him to argue with her and she really didn't need it so she stood up straight her hands clenched at her side hoping she was giving her best CO impression to stall him. Fortunately it worked, he nodded at her then yanked the door open and stepped back into the corridor.

When she heard his footsteps retreat she stepped forward and closed the door then leant against the wall of her cabin and sighed deeply. The patrol had just become a hell of a lot more complicated.

...

Dutchy headed to the bridge and stomped up the stairs. Once at the top he looked at their Communications Officer who was shuffling papers at his station. "RO pipe specials," he practically grunted as he seized a radio transmitter.

A few minutes later Swain, Charge and Bird arrived on the bridge. Dutchy eased himself into the command chair until he was relieved. Swain slipped behind the helm and glanced over to him. "How did things work out last night?" he asked a slight smirk on his lips as he expected a bit of a tale.

"Let's just say it's better not to talk about it and if I hear anyone pass comment-" Dutchy began as more footsteps clattered up the stairs, announcing the arrival of the ship's XO.

"Big night Dutchy?" he asked hoping to catch up on the gossip he had missed the previous night due to a prior engagement with his parents in town.

"I think it's best not discussed sir," Dutchy answered calmly as he could; whatever he was feeling about the turn of events in the CO's cabin, it was clear that he needed to avoid all conversation of the woman in the bar. He pushed himself straighter in the chair and Swain, whose focus was still on the Bosun sensed his unease, he even noticed the involuntary flinch which occurred when Dutchy heard the voice of their temporary CO, which greeted them a moment later.

"Who has the ship?"

"I do Ma'am," Dutchy answered, his focus out of the window before him.

"Very well then, take us out once clear of the docks set course for the Lockhart River inlet in Cape York and advise of our ETA, top of the green."

"Lockhart River Inlet, Cape York, top of the Green, aye ma'am" Dutchy acknowledged as Swain began flicking switches on the console to bring the engines on line and begin the process of departure. "Buck, check out the charts, give me a course heading for when we clear the dock." He asked looking towards their gap year student.

Elena remained on the bridge until they were clear of the dock and underway. "X, senior officers will be briefed in 5 minutes in the ships office."

"Yes, Ma'am," he acknowledged as she left the bridge.

...

Swain and Dutchy were the first to arrive in the ship's office and sat at the table which had already been covered with a large map of the area they were heading into. Dutchy was pretty quiet and Swain wondered if it had anything to do with the woman he had met the night before. Swain hadn't got a good look at her, other than she was young, slim and blonde.

"Is everything alright?" Swain asked, concerned.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Dutchy responded defensively.

"You're just quieter than normal, you're not talking about –"

"Last night has nothing to do with anyone other than me and El- her" Dutchy growled, only just stopping himself from saying her name. They didn't need it becoming common knowledge across the ship that he had seduced their CO and although they might appear slow on the uptake at times, none of the crew were idiots, they would soon put the pieces together if he wasn't careful and that could be disastrous for both of them.

"Alright," Swain acceded. "If you want someone to talk to you know where I am."

The door opened to admit the woman in question, although for the time being Swain didn't know that. She greeted both of them and helped herself to a mug of tea, offering them both one in the process.

"Swain, I understand you're married and have a daughter," she commented in an attempt to elicit conversation and try to suppress the vibes she could almost feel coming from the other occupant of the room.

"Yes ma'am, Chloe, she's four now, Sally, my wife, and I can barely keep up with her."

The door opened again to admit Charge and the XO, the former took a seat next to Swain. "You may sit too X." He accepted her offer and sat next to Dutchy, who was staring at the map spread across the table.

"I'm sorry you were recalled from leave so we could be crash sailed and I appreciate you're not used to how I work, but we have a job to do and I'd like us to do it well, so that Lt Commander McGregor can gain some of the credit on her return. I hear this crew is one of the best around these parts, so I hope we can uphold that on this evolution." She paused for a moment and put down her now empty mug and glancing around the group of sailors before her she was not surprised when Dutchy's look failed to meet her eyes.

"You have all heard about the tropical storm that battered the Kingston yesterday afternoon in the Arafura sea and has left a trail of destruction in its wake across Cape York. Severe flooding had been reported in a large area near Lockhart River, leaving people stranded, homes and businesses destroyed and little in the way of supplies. We are steaming at top speed and should arrive in a few hours. Swain I want you to prepare for casualties, we don't know what we might find, all communication was severed when the river burst its banks in the early hours." Looking from Swain to Charge she continued. "Charge, anything you and your team can do to help repair power or communications will be invaluable, we've taken on portable generators and other machinery, review what we have so you know where it's best to deploy them when we arrive. 2-dads can help you with support from RO as required."

She paused for breath before turning her attention to Dutchy, who finally looked up when she began speaking directly to him. "Dutchy, I want you to co-ordinate a duty watch for the ship to ensure we have maximum support ashore, we'll need a sandbagging detail and temporary shelters as a priority. X, we'll meet with local councillors and aid groups and then you will remain as liaison between them and our teams to ensure our services are best deployed, it might also be a good idea to have Chefo prepare additional meals."

"Ma'am are we the only ones being deployed?" asked Swain.

"No, Kingston is due to dock for urgent repairs and resupply then they will be redeployed tomorrow to work on the west side of the point which hasn't been so badly affected, HMAS Darwin will not continue back home, they are being tasked with supporting the relief efforts also. They were loading supplies when we left and will sail about two hours behind us. The remaining ships in port are being deployed to the islands in the Coral and Arafura seas, possibly as far as New Guinea. Any questions?"

A knock on the door stopped anyone from speaking immediately. RO opened the door, "sorry Ma'am latest weather report just in from NAVCOM, another storm is on the way, could hit as early as 2 hours."

"Thanks Robert, keep me informed." RO ducked out of the room and closed the door again.

"Looks like we're in for a rough ride," announced Charge.

"Which doesn't leave us long to prepare. Swain, as our best helmsman, I want you on the bridge when the storm hits." The implication was clear that he would be in charge of keeping them on track to arrive at their destination.

"Yes Ma'am."

"That's all for now, brief your teams and get to work, I'm going to check in with NAVCOM, I'll be in my cabin if anyone wants me."

Elena didn't wait for any acknowledgement and left the room, hurrying towards the comcen, anywhere to get away from the vibes which continued to emanate from Dutchy. Maybe it was a defence mechanism on his part, but she knew she shouldn't have given into him the night before; he had been persuasive and persistent and broke down her long held personal rules never to get involved with a sailor. That way there was never a risk of them being caught in a compromising position, now she was right where she had tried to avoid. Well, except they hadn't been caught, ... yet. The possibility was there though and she knew that she had to tread very carefully.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed, please leave feedback on your way out ..._


	3. Into the Storm

_Thank you to those that read part 2 and to _capsarchick for the review

_Things are going to start getting more dramatic in this chapter so brace yourselves._

_Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed_.

**_._**

**_Part 3 – Into the storm_**

Dutchy was on the bridge in quiet discussion with their other new appointee, "Buck" White, the Commander's son. The lad had been posted to Hammersley to plug the gap left by Bomber when she was transferred, the crew still missed her in the galley, but Bird was making an effort to fill their former chef's shoes.

The XO was in the command chair while 2-dads was at the helm, when Bird appeared with a tray of refreshments. Appreciative groans and nods were returned from the bridge crew as she put them down in a safe place while exchanging a glance with Buck, before departing she turned to the XO.

"Sir, the CO would like a word if you have a few minutes."

"Thanks Bird," he answered leaving the command chair and helping himself to coffee. "Dutchy you have the ship."

"I have the ship sir," Dutchy echoed, reaching for his own coffee and taking the seat the XO had just vacated.

"So, what happened last night?" Asked 2-dads leaning toward Dutchy and keeping his voice low, an amused grin crossing his face.

Dutchy raised the binoculars to his eyes and scanned the horizon, when he lowered them again he turned to the ships Electronics Technician, "none of your business 2-dads and if you bring it up again I'll have you on report."

A surprised look crossed 2-dads face, the threat sounded serious, this was not the normal Dutchy, any other time he had joked with the crew about the girls he'd been seen with. Something about this one was different.

"Okay, I'll drop it for now," he answered in one breath and immediately set about an equally uncomfortable subject for the Bosun, in the next. "What do you think of the CO? She's a bit of a mystery, just showing up like this, according to the guys on the dock no one's seen her before, haven't really seen her myself yet, but I hear she'd look great in a bikini."

Dutchy nearly choked on the mouthful of coffee he had just taken, but just managed to contain himself and raised the binoculars again to stare out at the sea, granting him a moment to form an appropriate reply and dispel the image 2-dads had just created in his head. Finally he set his cup and the binoculars down, "2-dads, whoever NAVCOM appoint to cover the CO's absence is nothing to do with us, just do your job and I'm sure there'll be no problem." He wasn't sure if he was really talking about 2-dads or himself, but it was definitely a discussion he didn't want to get into.

For a few minutes the bridge fell silent and his mind drifted back to Elena; dinner and a walk along the beach had only been the start, the night had ended with her spending the night at his place; he smiled at the thought, then shook the memory away, trying to focus on his job and set aside any personal thoughts in order to protect both of them.

...

Gordon pushed open the door to the CO's cabin and private office. "You wanted to see me ma'am"

"Yes X, come in and close the door, take a seat."

A moment later having complied with her instruction she turned to him. "I thought it would be good to get to know you and the crew a little more, how long have you been on Hammersley?"

"A couple of months, I was assigned when Lt-Cdr MacGregor became CO. I'd been based out of Darwin previously, so I knew patrol boats. They're a tight knit crew, so it's taken a while to settle in, and my family are still in Darwin so there are times when it's tough, do you have family ma'am?"

"My father, he lives further north, his health is failing so I've been allowed to post here to be nearer to him. The CO will be back for your next patrol, I'm just filling in and I don't have the luxury of getting to know the crew as well as I would like so I'd like your insight, tell me about them."

"Where should I start?"

"Wherever you like, anything I should be aware of disciplinary wise, family circumstances, how long they've been on Hammersley, that sort of thing." She offered a starting point as she took in the second in command who seemed to shift uneasily before her. "Lt I'm not here to cause trouble, I just want to have a head's up on who the troublemakers are likely to be and what motivates the crew."

"Okay, well there's RO, Robert Dixon, one of the long term appointees, been on board at least 5 years, he's not exactly a team player, although I understand he's got a little better the last year or two. He's a stickler for the rules and guards the comcen like it's his own private kingdom. No family, ... technically sound, but socially impossible is how I'd put it. Next is Charge, divorced, two grown up kids, son is on the minesweeper Huon, likes a practical joke ..."

The XO continued for several minutes running through the crew, and had just told her about Swain.

"... Chloe is the apple of his eye."

"He was saying earlier." Elena commented then turned to the files before her and opened the last one, "that leaves Dutchy."

"Yeah, joined the crew about a year ago after serving in the gulf. Received a medal for that too, from talk I think he had an issue with the CO when he first came aboard, but they eventually sorted things out, he admires and respects her and he's integrated well with the crew, protects the women and has taken young Buck under his wing. No family to speak of, parents used to own a cattle ranch down south losing him his inheritance when the business failed, so he joined the Navy instead, they're living in Sydney now. Good worker, great to have in a crisis but can be a little overzealous on occasion. Also not afraid to speak his mind if he believes the situation warrants it. The CO seems to trust his judgement, maybe a little more than she should, but that could be because he knows the ship and the crew better than I do."

"Okay, anything else you think I should know?"

"No ma'am."

"Very well, you may return to your duties. I'm going to join you shortly."

Gordon pushed himself from the chair and left her cabin. Elena sat for a moment with Dutchy's file in her hand.

For one night it had been good to forget that she was Navy and be treated like a normal woman rather than a link in the command chain. Maybe it was time to make a stand for what she wanted, her father was in failing health and it wouldn't be long before he passed on and the ranch became hers, she then had choices, stay and keep it running, or sell up and put the money into something else, she had often thought about buying a yacht and sailing the world, but she never had the nerve to do it alone. Maybe it was time to bite the bullet and force herself to do something out of her comfort zone, who knew what other doors it would open. Maybe the unsettled feeling she had was what prompted her to take up Dutchy's offer the night before, unfortunately that decision had come back to haunt her; if only Megan hadn't suggested she wait for her in that bar.

...

The ship had left Cairns two hours earlier and they had about another hour until reaching their destination, but the seas had started to swell, the skies had darkened and the rain was pounding off the deck, the result causing the ship to pitch and roll as they battled into the storm towards their designated anchor point.

Swain was at the helm and the XO in the command chair while Dutchy and Ryan were glued to the radar and EOD, watching out for ships in distress and other obstacles which the storm could pitch in their way. Visibility was much reduced even though it was still daylight, and they were lucky they could even see the bow of the ship; the streaks of lightning occasionally giving them a brief moment of clarity, barely allowing them to see the crests of the waves crashing around them before they were once more hidden by the darkened clouds.

"I can't see a thing," Buck muttered trying to pick out anything visible on the EOD among the crashing waves.

"Just do your best," encouraged Dutchy glancing across at the other monitor.

"Engine temperatures climbing X, we can't keep running like this." Charge called from his station in the corner of the bridge.

"What do you suggest?" Gordon replied, turning to look at the engineer.

"We have to cut power or we'll burn out, 50% at least, ideally I'd like to shut them down and run some diagnostics to find the cause."

"That's clearly out of the question until we get to quieter waters." Gordon replied quickly bracing himself as the ship pitched again.

"X we cut power we risk being dragged off course and the wind direction could take us onto the reef." Swain pitched his counter argument.

"I agree, but Charge is right we can't risk continuing as we are. Cut the engines to 50%, Swain revolutions one-zero-zero-zero same heading."

"Roger sir, revolutions one-zero-zero-zero same heading," Swain acknowledged reluctantly as he moved to the switches in front of him to follow the order.

A few minutes later Elena appeared on the bridge, grasping the handrail at the top of the steps to stop herself being tossed around. "Why have we slowed down X?"

"Problem with the engines ma'am, we needed to throttle back to help preserve them or we risk losing them altogether."

"Sit rep Charge," she turned to the engineer who was muttering to himself in the corner.

"Not sure ma'am nothing on this console is saying what it should. I need 2-dads to take a look and make sure it's not an electrical fault."

"Fine, get him up here and get us back on line as fast as you can, we need full power to keep us off the reef in this." She instructed.

As the call went out for 2-dads Elena took the brief lull in the roll of the ship to step properly onto the bridge and secure a handhold on the pole behind the command chair and peer out of the window. "This is set to last a while so we'd better stay vigilant, Dutchy, keep your eyes peeled on the EOD, report even the slightest anomaly, it may be the difference between putting a hole in the hull or staying afloat."

"Yes ma'am," he responded instinctively to the order and after a brief glance out of the window he turned back to the monitor, swapping places with Buck who then had the easier job of watching blips on the radar.

The ship pitched violently as she reached for a spare set of binoculars and crashed into the console in front of her, grasping at anything that she could hold on to she tried to remain on her feet while she doubled over gasping, severely winded from the jolt her ribs had just sustained.

"Ma'am?" The voice of the XO filtered through the oxygen deprived haze which surrounded her. "Are you alright?"

Grasping at the arm of the CO's chair she forced herself to control her breathing and after several seconds she began to straighten up. She could feel the eyes of the bridge crew on her, pain radiated across her lower ribs as she drew in air to speak. "I'm fine," she croaked, "just winded."

Dutchy may have been harbouring some resentment over her omission about her career path, but he'd not really had the chance to think about it in the last hour, on the bridge she seemed efficient and capable, just like their normal CO. She hadn't unfairly picked on him when she had been on the bridge so he was beginning to calm down a little. He had looked up just as she collided with the console and watched as she gasped for air, her arm flailing trying to hold onto something. Unable to take his eyes off her he was aware that Swain started to move from the helm to go to her aid, but then she seemed to recover and he settled back.

"Ma'am, you should let Swain take a look at you, that console's a lot harder than you."

Dutchy winced, while the XO meant well, the words could have been better chosen. He noticed her steel herself and straighten up fully. "Thank you X, but I think I'll know when I need medical intervention."

"Of course ma'am." He answered contritely. Elena glanced around the others then back at Gordon.

"Captain has the ship," she stated formerly, the acknowledged response from the XO confirmed the change in command and he relinquished the chair to her.

Once she was settled, Dutchy couldn't help notice her hand resting against her ribs and the determined look on her face. She was in more pain than she was letting on, he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have a couple of cracked ribs.

"Where's 2-dads? Charge call him again, we need those engines, X, tell RO I want a weather update from NAVCOM and to know if Darwin has sailed yet, if not advise them of our situation and request them on standby to help us if we don't solve the problem."

"Yes ma'am," Gordon acknowledged. With a further acknowledgement he disappeared down the stairs.

...

Mike picked up the latest call to the co-ordination centre at NAVCOM.

"Flynn," he greeted abruptly. "R-O, ... say again, ... alright I got that, I'll check on that and get back to you. Storm's set to last for the next few hours, tell Charge to do what he can, Darwin sailed 20 minutes ago, I'll have them track your course." Mike acknowledged the situation and confirmed again that he would get the requested information before hanging up and turning to a junior officer at his side.

"Lieutenant, have the latest weather reports and storm track sent directly to Hammersley and Darwin, and get Commander Wilson on the line, I need to speak to him."

"Yes sir, and Commander White wants to see you." The officer replied, starting to move off to follow his instructions.

"Patch the call through to her office when it's sorted."

Mike turned and headed into Maxine White's office.

"Mike, how's it going out there?"

"A little hectic, but we're getting sorted. Kingston just docked and Darwin left about half hour ago."

"Good, stay on top of things, I've got Canberra breathing down my back about all of this and they've just added the patrols out of Darwin at our disposal, that's 3 more patrol boats and a frigate. We're waiting for details on their current locations before we decide on deployment. Hammersley should be nearly at their rendezvous, have they checked in yet?"

"Actually I just spoke to Robert Dixon, I'm waiting on a call, but we may have a bit of a situation brewing."

"Not another CO they've wasted," Maxine commented quickly, fixing Mike with a glare.

"No, from what I can make out the CO's doing just fine. No, they were in for maintenance before being crash sailed and it seems that all is not well with their engines. Charge and Kosov-Meyer are on the case, but for now they're running on 50% power."

"Is everyone alright?" She asked anxiously.

"Robert didn't go into details, so I would say yes, but I'm concerned they're in the peak of the storm with reduced power and high seas, if they can't hold course for any reason they'll be blown onto the reef."

"Is there anything we can do to assist them?" She asked, her eyes dropping to the photos adorning her desk, as she reached out and plucked the centre one and held it.

"Not at this time, I'm going to bring Darwin up to speed and have them plot the same course, we may need to get a little creative."

"Alright, I'll leave it in your hands, just let me know what you need and that Ryan is safe."

The phone rang on her desk and she stared at it for a moment before Mike picked it up and announce his presence. "Tug, good to speak to you again, sorry we missed each other last night."

"_Well if it isn't the Mighty Mike Flynn, tamed by a shore posting at last_." Commander Wilson chuckled at the other end of the line. "_What can I do for you?_"

Mike proceeded to explain the situation to the Frigate commander before they rang off.

* * *

_I take no credit for the comment about RO - technically sound, but socially impossible - I found it on the internet somewhere and thought it fitted him._

_I'm curious, who would become 2IC if something happens to the X? - Can anyone help?_

_SeaKat_


	4. Mayday

_Thank you to those that are reading._

_I know at the start I said Kate would be in this chapter and she isn't, I promise she is in the next one._

_Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed._

_.  
_

**Part 4 – Mayday**

2-dads raced onto the bridge, "Sorry Charge, RO had me fixing broken circuit boards in the comcen. What do you need?"

Charge glared at 2-dads, "Engines," he growled, "don't stop until you find the problem and fix it, we're running on 50% power and if we don't get moving again soon we'll be on the reef before we reach our destination."

"Right, so what's wrong?" 2-dads asked again looking around the bridge.

"If I knew that I would have done something about it. I need you to tell me if these lights are a faulty board or if we've got a more serious problem." Charge answered through clenched teeth while waving his hand over the console at his side.

2-dads moved into Charge's workstation and began a diagnostic program, as RO moved up the stairs and took his place at the communications console.

"May Day, May Day, May Day," the radio crackled with the desperate plea of a person in need of help.

RO answered seeking more information from the stranded vessel. Dutchy turned to listen and noticed Elena rest her hand protectively across her ribs as she shifted in her seat. He was about to say something when he caught her eye and she surreptitiously shook her head as the ship continued to pitch and roll. He knew from experience that she was probably in a lot of pain even if she hadn't broken any bones. Seeing the steely determination in her eyes he decided not to question her, but it didn't stop him admiring her tenacity. He was seeing a completely different person to the one he had dined with the night before and he had to admit that if he'd known then she was Navy, and outranked him, he wondered if their first meeting would have been so ... pleasant.

Swain too had noted the CO's stiff movement and tight jaw indicating her discomfort. Once she had once again settled herself in the chair he glanced out the window then back at her.

"You should be resting ma'am, I haven't checked you out yet."

"I'm fine, just some bruised ribs. We need all hands in this weather."

"I have them on radar," Dutchy announced referring to the ship in distress, "about 60 miles north east of our position, we're the only thing within a couple of hundred miles."

"Charge can we make it on reduced power?"

"It's close to the reef, if the wind changes we could be pushed onto it and hole ourselves."

"Alright, RO tell them we're heading for their position but if there's any way they can try and get within our plotted course it will be better, how long to rendezvous?"

Dutchy squinted at the Radar and map display, "About 3 hours at our current speed and we'll overshoot our target destination."

"We don't have a choice, Swain change course to intercept, current speed course-" she turned to view the radar console and hissed in pain as she twisted; sitting upright again she turned her head slightly exchanging a glance with Dutchy who took the initiative.

"Course green 2-5 ma'am."

"Thank you, green 2-5 current speed," she instructed, receiving Swain's acknowledgement. "Charge, 2-dads I want a sitrep on our engine situation as soon as you have it."

"Aye ma'am, we're going down to the engine room to check on a few things." Charge announced as they moved to leave the bridge.

"Good. X, when we rendezvous with the yacht, take a boarding party and see if you can get them moving again ASAP, in the meantime contact NAVCOM and get everything they can tell us about the yacht and its owners."

"Yes ma'am."

As the ship lurched again 4 of the ship's crew left the bridge, leaving Swain, Dutchy and Buck.

Dutchy glanced over to Swain and tipped his head at Elena, relieved that her eyes were on the expanse of sea ahead of them, Swain returned a confused frown then Dutchy nudged Buck's shoulder, "go get Bird to make a brew, we could all use one."

"But don't you need me here?" the youngster protested,

"Later, now we need a brew," Dutchy instructed firmly forcing a reluctant Buck to leave the bridge, wondering what he might have done wrong to be banished. Swain, finally catching on to Dutchy's plan, lost no time and began extracting himself from his seat, "Dutchy take over while I check the boss."

Elena looked at both of them surprised. "I'm fine, Swain resume your duties." She instructed.

"I'm the medic ma'am, right now you are my duty." He was quick to respond.

"You've got two choices ma'am, go with Swain and get checked out or he does it here." Dutchy answered firmly as he seated himself at the helm and earning him a glare from their temporary CO.

"Careful sailor, I could have you on charges of insubordination," she retorted angrily, Dutchy merely grinned as she turned away, he'd stepped close to the line but he was more concerned with her state of health and he figured giving her the ultimatum would get her off the bridge albeit briefly. When he didn't comment she turned to him again, hissing at the pain it caused. "What? No smart comeback?"

Dutchy merely fixed her with a glare of his own. "It's for your own good ma'am and ours." He replied, another flicker of a grin crossed his face when she conceded, although he wished he hadn't antagonised her a few minutes later.

"Fine, with everyone else occupied we can't leave the bridge, so I guess it will have to be here." Both officers were a little surprised at her response and Swain looked at Dutchy like his hands were caught in the cookie jar.

"You sure ma'am, your cabin will give you more privacy." Swain debated, a little unsure about examining the boss while they were on the bridge and anyone could walk in.

"Swain just do what you need to so we can all get back to work." She almost snapped, he nodded his assent and moved closer to her. She knew what she was doing, they had expected her to leave the bridge, but in the middle of the storm, on reduced power and only them on the bridge there was no option, besides, what would be the harm in calling Dutchy's bluff? She knew he wouldn't have expected her response. Her other reason was that every time she moved it caused more pain, she was fairly certain by next morning she'd be black and blue with bruises and it wouldn't surprise her to find out she had cracked a couple of ribs either. So right now the easiest option was to stay where she was.

Dutchy tried to keep his eyes averted as she pulled her arms from her overalls and lifted her t-shirt, allowing Swain to gently examine her ribs for signs they were broken. It didn't matter what he tried to do, Dutchy couldn't help his eyes drifting over her, seeing the pale flesh of her stomach which was exposed and he was reminded of the way it felt under his touch the previous night. He remembered tracing his fingers across her skin, right where Swain's hands were now. He fidgeted in the chair and leaned forward grabbing the binoculars as if he was inspecting something in the water; anything to avoid the thoughts that were racing through his mind accompanied by another part of his anatomy joining in the lust filled moment.

"All done ma'am, I think you're right, just badly bruised, take things easy for a few days but if it gets any worse let me know, I'd also recommend an x-ray when we find a hospital, just to be sure." Swain announced into the tense silence that had befallen them. Dutchy tried to breathe, to suppress more than the memories that were assaulting him at the moment.

"Thank you I will," she answered while quickly pulling her shirt and overalls back into place. "While Dutchy has the helm now may be a good time to stretch your legs, there may not be an opportunity for a while." She offered.

"Thank you ma'am, I'll be five minutes, I'd like to check in with Bird to make sure the rest of the crew are holding up alright."

Swain quickly turned away to carry out his duties, but as he moved to the stairs she added more instructions, "could you also ask RO to get a weather update from NAVCOM and tell Charge I want an update on our engine situation."

"Yes ma'am," he answered and disappeared down the stairs.

Elena settled back in her seat, occasionally peering through the binoculars and the stormy seas around them. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. "Are you sure you're alright?" Dutchy finally ventured, the angry tone from earlier replaced by one of concern.

"It hurts if I move too fast, but I'm fine." Silence descended for another moment, "you don't believe me?" She asked, glancing in his direction.

"You hit that console pretty hard," he replied glancing over at her, not afraid of getting the same response she had given the X before.

The storm had seemed to calm a little, but they both still had their eyes focused on the dark expanse before them. Elena turned to view the EOD and radar, but couldn't suppress the pain that radiated across her chest. Dutchy was half out of his seat when she reached over and rested her hand on his arm. "Elena, you should be resting, not up here playing hero."

"I'm not playing hero, I'm doing my job, so please will you do yours and stop making this any more difficult than it needs to be."

"You're a member of this crew, Commanding Officer or not, I'd be saying the same thing to anyone in your situation."

"Then don't call me Elena." She snapped, taking the opportunity of a moment of calm to move to the consoles which would give them much better advance warning of impending danger. Dutchy had acceded to her unspoken command and resumed his seat at the helm.

"And what about last night?" He asked, glancing towards the stairs to ensure no one was lurking there.

"Last night shouldn't have happened, but it did so we'll just have to live with the consequences."

"So if I was to ask you out when we get back you'd say no?"he asked as he raised his eyebrows and grinned at her, it was a risky question under the circumstances, but he wasn't going to be the only one to suffer.

"Ask me again when I'm no longer your commanding officer, but for now I think it's in both our interests to keep last night to ourselves." He was a little surprised that she subtly reminded him of the fraternisation rules, but he wasn't about to let it go and he wanted to see how she'd react.

"I guess that all depends on if you can keep your hands off me." She knew he was taunting her, he seemed to know just how to do it to get a rise out of her, something no one had ever done before and this time it worked.

She giggled. "In your dreams-"

"You will be," he answered quickly, "Tell me you're not going to be dreaming of last night."

"As much fun as last night might have been, I refuse to discuss anything more with you until this patrol is over." She answered succinctly, as she regained her official tone, just in time as it happened. The door opened with a crash as it hit the wall causing both occupants of the bridge to exchange a final glance and before focusing on the monitors in silence. Buck and Bird appeared at the top of the steps with the tray of tea and a plate of cookies unaware of the little tableau that had just been playing out.

They were swiftly followed by the XO and Swain, returning from their tasks. "Everyone alright Swain?" Elena asked as she eased her way back into her seat, allowing Dutchy to resume his post at the radar and Swain to take the helm.

"A few bruises, nothing serious." He answered as RO appeared and resumed his place at the communications console.

"That's good," she peered through the binoculars, watching the swell of the waves as the ship heaved, jolting her in the chair, causing a stab of pain to radiate across her chest.

"You alright ma'am?" Swain asked, noting the gasp she emitted.

"Just sore. X find out from Charge what our engine situation is."

"Ma'am." Gordon acknowledged and turned to the ships phone to call the engine room.

"How bad are we drifting Dutchy?" She asked without turning to look. He stared at the displays for a moment.

"Hard to say right now, we're still clear of the reef on radar, but we're off course for sure."

"I need to know how far and I want a corrective plan, X I need the sitrep on those engines, and RO I want 15 minute updates on the storm's course and speed from NAVCOM." She rattled off instructions and demands and hoped that things didn't get any worse.

"Yes ma'am, permission to break out the 900, I'm getting too much interference on this." RO stood up and waved his arm across the usual radio equipment.

"Granted, just get me the information and find out how far Darwin is behind us, we may need rescuing ourselves if Charge and 2dads can't get the engines working." RO acknowledged the command and then left the bridge, almost being thrown down the stairs in the process as the ship heaved. "X, Dutchy I want options to keep us off the reef, hopefully we won't need them but we need a plan."

"With no engines we've used the RHIBs before, but that won't be an option in this weather." Dutchy answered.

"Bow thrusters too would be useless," Gordon added. "I've never been faced with quite such a situation-" he continued, but stopped suddenly as all the lights went out.

"Helm's not responding!" Swain called.

"Radar and EOD are gone!" Dutchy called.

"Everything's down." Gordon replied, glancing around the bridge as one by one all systems failed.

"X, I think it's safe to say that none of us have faced this situation. Dutchy did you get that calculation?"

"About 15 miles, at half speed we'd be on the reef in 2 hours."

"Then pray for a miracle because with no power it'll be half that. I want extra lookouts everyone in life jackets and lines. Ryan, Bird you stay here extra lookouts, one each side. Make sure you brace yourselves well, it's going to get a lot rougher."

A chorus of "yes, ma'am" echoed in the dark as the ship pitched violently.

Footsteps on the stairs and the flash from a torch heralded the arrival of another crew member, "Charge shut down the engines, there's a short in the electrical system that's cut power to the coolant pump which has seized. 2-dads is working on the electrics, trying to isolate the fault," the messenger gasped, "and Charge is working on getting the pump going again."

"Tell them they've got less than an hour before we're on the reef so they'd better work fast." Elena called back and the crew-member disappeared, leaving the bridge in darkness.

* * *

_Thanks to capsarchick for the discussion. It's given me something to ponder for later on._


	5. Helpless

_As promised, Kate features heavily in this part as we see what's going on ashore._

_Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed.  
_

_**Part 5 – Helpless**_

Mike entered his office for the first time in several hours, running his hand through his hair, he wasn't looking forward to the phone call he was about to make. It had been almost an hour since the last contact with Hammersley and despite constant attempts on all channels there had been no response to their hails. Their signal had also vanished from all tracking equipment, even Darwin couldn't raise them. From the last conversation with RO they were down to 50% power and hadn't isolated the fault, their course already adrift from the one plotted several hours ago when they departed. HMAS Darwin was steaming full speed towards them in the hope that they would not be needed, but fearing that something catastrophic had happened for them to have missed their scheduled check-ins.

Reaching for his phone he wondered how he could inform the ship's CO that their beloved ship and its crew were in serious danger, or maybe even lost. Even with the phone in his hand, he still couldn't muster the strength to press the speed-dial number that would connect him with her. He might have appeared to be looking at the phone, but all he could actually see was the look on her face when he gave her the news. Hammersley had been his ship first, but she had come to love it just as much as he did and he would be helpless to console her when she received the news. Of course he knew what her reaction would be and what he had been instructed to tell her as a result.

He had no option, he needed to break the news and now before she heard it from anyone else, she'd never forgive him for that. Releasing a heavy sigh he traced his thumb across the buttons once more and finally pressed "1" and the call button.

...

Kate had survived her first session with the trainees and was enjoying a few hours of the late afternoon sunshine, but she couldn't help her mind wandering to the events occurring in Queensland. When she boarded the plane the night before she was aware that tropical storms were battering the seas to the north, but overnight things had turned bad and a raging storm had made land leaving destruction in its wake. She'd spoken to Mike earlier that morning and he'd informed her that a number of ships in the area were being crash sailed and she couldn't help feeling a little envious that she wasn't going to be there with her crew. She smiled as she thought of how Mike would approach the situation, but when they'd spoken earlier before things got underway, he'd told her that they'd brought in another CO. He hadn't known details at the time, but she had to wonder at how successful that would be, after all the Hammersley track record with temporary CO's wasn't good and combine that with a still new XO she couldn't help but feel it was a recipe for disaster.

Leaving the afternoon sun she re-entered the training block and was met with a brief blast of cold air before acclimatising to the air-conditioning. Her phone rang and she extracted it from her pocket.

"McGregor," she answered formally, without having checked the caller ID, listening to the first raspy breaths of her former CO she immediately stepped into the classroom and closed and locked the door. "Mike?"

"_Kate, ... it's Hammersley, she's in trouble,"_ he slowly informed her, careful to keep his emotions in check so he could help to reassure her they were doing everything they could.

Kate slumped onto the desk and stared out of the window, "what happened?" she asked, her thoughts from earlier making her wonder if she had perhaps jinxed things.

"_We don't know the details, they were having engine trouble, running on reduced power attending a mayday in the eye of the storm, but now they've missed three scheduled calls."_ The implications were immediately obvious, they had been sailing into the storm when they should have been returning to port for repairs, now they were out of contact and possibly in trouble themselves. She knew she could trust the crew, but the new XO and a temporary CO had her stomach churning.

She fixed her gaze on the view from the window, allowing herself a moment to compose herself, "How long?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"_An hour,_" she was glad Mike knew how she thought, she wasn't sure if she could voice the worry that currently ran through her. In the grand scheme of things an hour wasn't long and the crew were good, but with a fairly new XO and an untried CO anything could have happened. "_Kate, we're doing everything we can, HMAS Darwin was in port last night, she's been deployed to the region and sailed just after Hammersley, they're aware of the situation and are making all speed to their last known co-ordinates."_

A rattle at the door indicated that the first of the students had arrived for the late afternoon lecture. "I'll be on the first flight back." She announced, her voice a little stronger, anything would be better than pretending that she was interested in running this course, she needed to be in Cairns.

"_No, Kate, there's nothing you can do here, Maxine wants you to stay put, see out the course."_

"There must be something I can do," she stated as the door rattled again. She felt so helpless, everything was going on without her, she needed to feel useful and teaching an abstract lesson to bunch of newly appointed officers was not what she should be doing.

"_There's nothing for me to do, it doesn't need both of us, I'll keep you informed."_

Kate's heart sank, "there must be something I can do, some way to-"

"_Kate, we're on it, I promise, I'll call you the moment I have any news,"_ He interrupted as she was about to rant about where she could help. _"I do have some good news,"_ he told her trying to distract her for a moment. _"Buffer and Spider are on Darwin and you know they'll be pulling out all the stops to find them."_

"How do you know?" She asked a little sceptically wondering if he was just trying to distract her.

"_They were at the pub last night with the crew, I saw them there myself after getting back from the airport."_

The door to the classroom rattled again. She stared out of the window again for a moment then sighed and turned her attention back to the phone. "I have to go, ... you promise you'll keep me informed," she clarified.

"_I promise, I'll call the first news I get."_ Mike assured her before finishing the call. Kate slowly cancelled her call and dropped the phone on the desk before walking slowly to the door and letting her students in.

She walked back to the desk, a frown furrowed her forehead as she pondered what Mike had said. The students were their normal vocal selves as they took their seats, but Kate never heard them, it took her a few more minutes before a thought occurred to her and she pulled out her phone ...

...

"How did she take the news?" Maxine asked entering Mike's office as he hung up from the call and sat in the chair opposite him.

Mike looked up. "I think you know, ... is there any more news?"

"Nothing and Baxter politely requested that I take a break and get a cup of coffee." She answered with reference to her commanding officer and lifting a photo frame from Mike's desk, staring at the photo of the Hammersley crew with Ryan standing in the centre, it had been taken on his first patrol.

"It's hard to fight with a mother trying to protect her cubs. He's a good kid Maxine, he's impressed everyone, I'm sure he'll be fine." He held her gaze as he tried to reassure her.

"Mike you know just as well as I do how quickly things can change out there, it's been over an hour, I never thought I'd say this, but I've never missed your ROs voice more."

"We have to stick to the facts, they were running on reduced power and heading into a storm, I'm sure they've got their hands full, maybe their comms were knocked out, there could be any one of a hundred rational explanations, it doesn't always have to be the worst."

"But to miss a radio check that they requested? I know this CO is new around here, but she's got the experience, and Robert Dixon certainly wouldn't fail his duty." She agonised for a minute and Mike noted her pained expression. Last time Ryan was in danger he had been the one to do the saving, albeit through Dutchy, but then he only had her voice to tell him how she was affected, this time he got it all. "I just don't know if-"

"Maxine," Mike warned in a low tone. "they're resourceful, we have to have faith in everyone on board and that's out there looking for them," he waved towards the flurry of activity going on at the command centre outside his office. "They'll find them, so what do you say we find that coffee Baxter told you to get, then we can go back in there with our heads up and show them how it's done?"

"I thought the last time was bad enough, but I'm beginning to realise that this is probably going to become a regular occurrence." She sighed as she stood up, Mike followed suit and they headed out of his office.

...

Reluctantly Kate greeted her students with a brief 'let's get down to business' tone, after a shared salute as per protocol. She stood in front of the class wondering how to begin and how she could teach them when her mind was hundreds of miles away. She hoped the thought she'd had would work and that some of them might even stay on to help her.

The chance for students to be involved with something like this didn't happen often and with the stakes so high she felt they might have a vested interest and therefore the motivation to take the lesson seriously.

Finally quelling the waves crashing in her stomach she looked up at the class and began...

"This afternoon we are going to do something different. I doubt what we are going to do has ever been done before, but it will give you a unique insight into the way our jobs work and what happens sometimes."

She stared at the confused looks on the faces of the men and women in front of her. "We are going to be evaluating a real life scenario-" she paused to ensure she had her emotions in check and to glance out of the window. "This situation is-" she stopped again, unable to put into words what she wanted to say. Playing for time she reached for a couple of whiteboard markers from the desk and handed them to two students in the front row. "Kez you're in charge of a patrol boat, Bean, you're the liaison officer at NavCom. You may want to take notes, one at each end of the class," she waited for them to move to their boards, their expressions becoming even more confused. Once they were standing at each end of the room she divided the rest of the students to form two groups.

Taking some deep breaths and resisting the urge to call Mike for an update she waited for everyone to settle down again. "Okay, this is non competitive and no ideas are stupid. You are to put yourselves in the shoes of the people you represent, any questions?"

The students looked at each other hoping that someone else would know why she was talking in riddles. Finally one of the team leaders spoke up, "Ma'am?" Kez raised her hand, "we're all confused and excuse me for saying but you seem distracted is everything alright?"

"I'm just coming to that," now she really needed to hold herself together or this plan of hers wouldn't work. "You will all be aware of the storms around Queensland yesterday. Earlier today a Patrol Boat, ... HMAS Hammersley, ... with a temporary CO, a new XO and an experienced crew sailed to support the relief efforts." She paused while the team leaders noted the boards. "In answer to a mayday the ship began heading towards them, a problem with their engines put them on 50% power, in another storm." Pausing again to stare out the window and try to focus on the task at hand she turned again to her students. "They've missed scheduled communications checks for the last 90 minutes and they've been lost on radar just as long."

As the information was taken in by the class and the leaders noted the boards Kate pulled her phone from her pocket, her fingers hovered over the buttons ready to dial NavCom in Cairns.

"Ma'am do Coastwatch have any planes up?" She turned to look at the young man who asked the question.

"No, weather's too bad." She pushed the phone back in her pocket, Mike had promised to call the minute there was any news, she had to trust that he would do that.

"Any other ships nearby?" Someone else asked.

"All small vessels would have been advised to take shelter in port, their route was inside the reef, so no commercial shipping in the area, we have one asset, HMAS Darwin was on a stop over in Cairns last night and was also despatched to help out in the area, they sailed about 2 hours after Hammersley on a similar course setting."

"Any distress signals?" Another student piped up.

Kate peered out of the window, the bright sunshine doing nothing to alleviate the gloomy sensation which had settled over her.

"Ma'am ... the Hammersley? She's your ship isn't she?" Kez pulled the pieces together and picking up on Kate's mood she recalled their earlier introductions when the officer had spoken with such pride of the ship and its crew. "Tell us what we can do to help."

Kate turned to the young trainee and then warily eyed the rest of the class, "yes, it's my ship, but I'm not sure we can do anything-"

"It may not be much Ma'am, but we'll try, who knows maybe we'll think of something the brass haven't." One of the young men added, earning a weak grateful smile from Kate as the door opened and a young brunette Lt-Cdr entered with a pile of folders.

"You started without me X" she greeted, almost dropping the papers onto the table and giving a brief salute to everyone present. She'd tried to joke, but if you looked closely there was no laughter in her eyes and seeing Kate's anguish she addressed the class as she handed out a few folders to each group.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, comments on your way out are welcome and encourage writing ..._


	6. The Reef

_I'm jealous, really excited for Season 5, but don't know when I'll get to see it in UK, so this is to placate my own cravings and those of my fellow sufferers out there who won't have seen the season premiere ... It sounds great._

_Kate makes another appearance in this part too._

_Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed.  
_

_**Part 6 – The Reef**_

Dutchy strode into the engine room around an hour after they had lost power. It was a nerve wracking time, the ship was still dark and they had been pummelled by the storm constantly, everyone was on edge as they waited to see if they could regain control of the ship in time to stop them being tossed against the reef. It was becoming a close run thing, but one stroke of good fortune was the change in the wind direction, which helped combat the tides, so they were still heading for the reef, but at a slightly slower rate.

"Charge, CO says we'd better get the engines back on line now or we'll be on the reef. With visibility as it is we won't see it until it's too late."

"Yeah, we're working on it as fast as we can," Charge grumbled in response, as he heaved on the pump override lever without success.

"Well do it faster or the X and I will be out there with the RHIBs trying to make a difference." Dutchy warned them. "We're running out of time."

"Give us 5 more minutes," Charge boomed.

"We may not have 5 minutes," Dutchy snapped in return, trying to stress the severity of their situation.

Charge looked over to the other sailor and noted the earpiece for their portable radios. "Have we been able to communicate with anyone yet?"

"No, these are for internal comms, until we get back on line, here, I brought one for you guys too, so the CO can shout at you herself," he answered in a slightly less aggrieved tone, tossing a set to 2-dads whose hands appeared to be cleaner than Charge's, who was up to his elbows in grease from working on the seized pumps.

"So Dutchy what do you think of her?" 2-dads asked as he fixed the portable radio to his uniform and put the earpiece in, "the CO?"

"I've gotta get back, you'd better have some good news by the time I get there." Dutchy replied, ignoring the question and glaring at 2-dads before leaving.

"You know something's up with him, we all think he left with that woman in the bar last night, what if it only appeared like that and she turned him down? That would explain the foul mood he's in."

Charge turned to fix 2-dads with an irritated stare and clenched his teeth, "2-dads, if we don't get these engines going, it won't matter what anyone thinks, they'll be picking our bodies off the reef."

The young sailor looked at Charge and grinned. "Chill out Charge, my jobs done," he refitted an electronic circuit board, closed the panel and flicked a couple of switches, the panel lit up and bathed him in an eerie green glow from the reflection of the tiny bulbs.

"Wonders will never cease. Come here, give me a hand."

2-dads looked at Charge's grease covered hands in the dim light emitted by the array of torches that surrounded him, then at the smudges on his face and overalls and turned up his nose, "not my job Charge, I get to keep my hands clean."

Charge's expression showed that he was about ready to murder the young technician, "2-dads I swear, if you don't get over here and help me you won't have to worry about the reef."

"Well, if you put it like that, what do you need?" He stepped closer to the Engineer and looked into the open pump.

"Find me a hammer," Charge urged tersely, "a big one."

"Righto."

After a moment of searching through a couple of tool boxes he held up one and Charge snatched it away from him and swung it at the valve lever. Then again and several more times, but the seized part refused to budge.

...

Swain headed towards the bridge after checking in with the rest of the crew, when he spotted Elena leaving her cabin and bracing herself against the pitching of the boat as she moved towards the stairs, while trying to fix her headset back on with one hand.

"Everything alright ma'am?" He called after her, making her stop and turn her whole body towards him, still wrapping her arm protectively around her ribs.

"Fine Swain, how is the crew doing?"

"A few bruises, nothing serious fortunately, how are you doing? Those ribs still painful?"

"Nothing I can't handle. I've had worse. ... I don't suppose you've heard anything from Charge?"

"Nothing yet, X sent Dutchy down to chase them up, I thought you were set to stay on the bridge," he commented in reference to her being in the corridor.

"Bathroom break, it's just taken me twice as long as normal, so I'll be glad when we're not being tossed around anymore." She leant against the wall and grasped the rail along the wall as she spoke to stop herself being jolted too much.

"I think we'll all be glad for that."

Elena gave him a half smile, "for now though we'd better get back to the bridge." She turned towards the stairs as RO hurried down them.

"Ma'am, good, the XO told me to find you," he gushed, nearly tripping over his words, "he thinks we're approaching the eye of the storm."

"Okay, let's get up there and check out what's happening." They all moved back up the stairs and Elena moved over to one of the windows and looked out. "Good call X, things should be a little calmer for a while. Captain has the ship," she announced turning to a tense looking Bird, as the XO echoed her command, "you're doing good Jess," she encouraged moving towards the other side of the ship and inspecting the compass by the light of the torch. "X when was our last compass reading?"

"About 5 minutes ago, heading 025," he confirmed.

"It isn't now, we're heading almost straight for the reef." She announced, pressing the button on her radio, "Charlie-82 to Bravo-82, Dutchy tell me that those engines are fixed and we can get some power to fight the currents."

"_Bravo-82, sorry Boss, Charge is still working on them, good news is that 2-dads fixed the electrics."_ He answered as Elena stared out into the darkness, relieved at the sliver of light reaching them, giving them better visibility.

"Hazard off the starboard bow! Approximately 500 yards!" Buck shouted as he lowered his binoculars to point at the obstruction.

The XO hurried to his side, "it's the reef ma'am" he called back after inspecting it himself.

"The seas have calmed considerably, I think we can risk lowering the anchors to try and keep us here, we get any closer and we're either ripped apart or run aground. X take RO and Buck, you'll have to do it manually from the deck, don't forget life jackets and lines, I don't want anyone going overboard." She instructed, RO grunted at the order and looked as if he was about to argue, she glared at him and he followed the others. "Charlie-82, Bravo -82 – Give the XO a hand on deck, and round up anyone else you need to help."

"_Bravo-82, will do."_

Elena exchanged glances with Swain and Bird, before pressing her radio mike again. "Charlie-82 to Sierra-82, we need those engines now! Get us any juice you can, we're 400 Yards off the reef, I need echo sounding and power."

...

Down in the engine room 2-dads suddenly went pale when he heard the latest message, Charge looked up because he had gone silent, "2-dads, what's with you?"

"It's the CO, she says we're 400 yards off the reef,"

"Good thing is that we're in the eye of the storm, the waves have settled some and it'll help hold us in place. I just need to get this last valve sorted and we're back on line." He answered taking the hammer and striking the lever a couple of times. He grunted and cursed at it and hit it twice more, "finally!" he breathed as the object moved slightly. He continued to hammer it, sweat pouring off him until it finally swung round to the "open" position, "Yes!"

A low rumbling echoed around them and they both looked around. "The anchors?" queried 2-dads.

"Yeah, if we're in the eye of the storm it'll be safe to use them for a bit, hopefully hold our position. Tell the CO were almost ready to fire up the engines for a trial, if it works we should be back on track, if these valves close off again then we're the one's who'll need rescuing."

...

Kate finally pulled herself out of her stupor and waited while the new arrival handed out the files. She could feel the vibes coming from the other woman, who was just as worried as she was. Taking a step forward and bracing herself for what they were about to do she addressed the class.

"I've asked Lt-Cdr Caetano to join me to act as advisor to the shore team while I will be available to advise the crew of the Hammersley. Lt-Cdr Caetano was also navigator on board and moved on just over a year ago for a frigate posting and more recently trainer here at the academy. I will give you 10 minutes to familiarise yourselves with the information in the packs Nav has given you then each team should be ready to answer questions and provide solutions and opinions on what may have happened and what they would do to resolve the situation, you may use anything in this room as a resource to help you and that includes the computers." Kate hadn't realised that she had slipped into her old habits and called the young brunette 'Nav'.

A hum briefly rippled around the room as the teams began their research, Nav walked over to Kate, "I'm glad you called me and that I was free to come and help."

"I just don't get what could have happened, Mike said there was nothing, just a failed check-in. I can't think of anything which would have stopped them communicating, even if they were in trouble."

"It's a good crew Kate, I'm sure there's some rational explanation. ... You know when ET died, I was so sure he'd been murdered," tears welled in the young sailors eyes, showing the pain she still felt after two years. "I think they're out there somewhere and they're all fine, it's a monster storm and there's a big issue with comms even with Darwin, so you know what I think, that the comms are down, the problem with the engine hasn't helped and later on we'll be down the pub wondering what all the fuss is about."

Kate couldn't help but smile half-heartedly at Nikki's evaluation, there was some truth to her gut reactions, she had been right all along about ETs death being murder. Kate hoped she was right about this. At least she wasn't alone in waiting for news.

...

Maxine entered Mike's office, "I don't suppose there's any news yet?"

"Not yet, I'm sorry Maxine, Darwin reached their last known co-ordinates a few minutes ago, the good news is there's no wreckage, which means they're likely to still be afloat, we're going to track their last known course heading and hope that Darwin picks something up."

"It's been over two hours now Mike, do you really think they're alright?"

"Hey, you were the one that appointed Lt-Cdr Larkin, said she was efficient and resourceful, with the storm track blowing all over the place, there's a good chance that they're somewhere out there, I'd just like to know why the hell they haven't checked in," Mike responded running his fingers through his hair.

"Is it possible their comms are down, that the fault you had a few months back has returned? And that we're all standing here worried for nothing?"

"I'm not there Maxine, I don't know, but believe me I'll be asking for a full report when they're found," he snapped, unable to contain his own frustrations at the lack of news.

"I just hope they're all okay." She sighed and left his office leaving him with his head in his hands as he tried to massage the tension out of his forehead.

...

Having just issued the order to hold on lowering the anchor Elena sat at the marine link console watching the lights come on around them, "so far so good, I hope this works. Bird take the EOD, keep a look out for anything in range, HMAS Darwin is likely to be out there somewhere looking for us."

"Yes Ma'am." She sat down at the monitor and adjusted the view as the radar flickered at her side. Swain cast his eye over the controls at his station and turned towards Elena.

"Ma'am, if the engine test is successful, what heading would you like?"

"Come left 90 degrees and get us back into the main channel, while we're in the eye let's try and stay there, it'll give us a little breathing space while we get onto NAVCOM and get a weather update and fill them in on our situation. How wide do you think it is?"

"The eye?" he queried with a frown, "without any adequate measurements of what we've come through, I guess we'll have about 20 minutes."

"We'd better make it count then." She answered .

"Okay, left 90 degrees head for the main channel," he repeated her earlier instruction.

"Ma'am, I have HMAS Darwin on radar, right on the edge of our horizon, she appears to be tracking near top speed.

"Thanks Bird."

2-dads hurried up the stairs. "Charge says we're ready, intercom should work he advises everyone to brace.

Elena reached for the mike on the desk and switched it on. "Hear there, Captain speaking, Charge thinks he has the engines fixed, we're going to start them up now, everyone brace. Anchor party stand by. That is all."

A moment later a deep rumble began in the belly of the ship and vibrations rippled throughout. After a couple of false starts when the sound and vibrations suddenly stopped after a few seconds, there was finally a sustained rumble and the full lighting came back on and brought up all their equipment, not just those powered via the emergency backup which had been switched on first.

"So far so good," 2-dads grinned, "maybe we're just not destined to be shark bait today after all,"

"No sharks in these waters you goose," Swain responded turning to look at the younger sailor.

"We're not out of the woods yet 2-dads, I suggest you pay attention to your duties and check all the electrical systems are back on line and working properly."

"Yes ma'am," he saluted cheekily and headed for the stairs.

"and 2-dads?" she waited for him to stop and turn around. " When we're anchored later you can help Bird in the galley, I think everyone deserves a good meal tonight. Bird I'm sure you can find him some vegetables to peel or something." Elena smirked, seeing Bird's face change from confused to enlightened and she smiled.

"Yes Ma'am, I can find some very useful jobs for him." She replied enthusiastically.

"Ma'am, what have I done to earn galley duty can't RO do it?" 2-dads asked, a confused and hurt look crossing his face as he looked at her.

"Make it a lesson not to gossip about your CO or shipmates for a start, or if you insist on doing so make sure you're not in earshot," she exchanged a grin with Swain as a very confused 2-dads opened and closed his mouth like a fish. "You left your radio on sailor, I heard what you said in the engine room, trying to provoke another member of the crew into a debate. I think you would do well to pay attention to your duties and keep your mouth shut, ... yes I also heard what you said to Charge, when he asked for help. This is a serious situation Leader and I do not appreciate flippancy or a slack attitude to work, it's not acceptable in any circumstances and definitely not now. Dismissed."

"Yes ma'am," he saluted and jogged down the stairs looking a little more contrite. Swain couldn't help release a chuckle.

"Something funny Swain?" she asked a curious edge to her voice.

"No, ma'am" he answered smothering the laugh, "Lt Cdr McGregor would have had him cleaning the ship with a toothbrush, but galley duty's good too."

"I hadn't thought of that, I'll keep it in reserve for next time, something tells me this won't be the only time I need to have words with him." She answered with a smile, Swain noted the glimmer in her eye and he smiled back. "How are we doing with the helm?"

"Seems responsive, setting course now ma'am," he confirmed.

* * *

_I hope if you read this you'll leave me a message on the way out ... _


	7. Contact

_Thanks to everyone for comments on the last part, I've also now seen the first episode, definitely started the series off with a bang ... literally! _

_Hannah – Thanks for the review and the tip.  
_

_Just a warning for this chapter Dutchy fans may wish to be sitting down before reading!_

_Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed._

_.  
_

_**Part 7 – Contact**_

Bird had been watching over the radar and EOD for several minutes when she picked up a welcome sight as she zoomed in the EOD camera, trying to pick up a better sighting despite the waves.

"Ma'am, I've been tracking HMAS Darwin, she's shadowing our previous course." She announced

"_This is Australian Warship calling any vessel in the vicinity of Bird Island and the Eastern Reef, on Channel 16, please respond."_

The three members of the bridge party exchanged looks and Elena moved to the communications console and picked up the microphone to respond to the hail. "Bird give me course and distance from their position." She requested tapping the transmitter in her hand for a few seconds before raising it. "HMAS Darwin, this is Hammersley, good to hear your voice."

"_You too Ma'am, you've had everyone worried about you, can you give Commander Wilson a sit rep?"_ The voice at the other end requested and Elena took a moment to let the butterflies in her stomach settle.

"We're 35 degrees off their port bow a distance of about 20 miles." Bird announced, her voice wavering at her still uncertain navigational skills.

"Thanks Bird," Elena lifted the transmitter again, "Darwin, Hammersley, we're about 400 yards off the reef in the eye of the storm. We've had power problems and have only just got our engines back on line and an electrical short fixed. We're currently about 20 miles and 35 degrees from your position and heading on a course 90 degrees starboard towards the centre of the channel. Have you picked us up on radar yet?"

"_Commander Wilson here, we just got you, do you need any assistance?"_

"We're still running evaluations, I'll check back with you in 10."

"_Roger Lt-Cdr, we'll set course to rendezvous with you and shadow you for a bit."_

"Appreciated, can you tell me Commander we were on a heading to intercept a yacht in trouble, has anything been heard from them recently?"

"_Yeah, turns out it was some kids setting a hoax, Federal Police picked up their sorry assess about 45 minutes ago and are planning on giving them a stern lecture before prosecuting them. You're good to return to your original orders if you're okay to do so."_

Elena looked at Swain, he glanced at his monitors and dials, looked out the window and then back at her and nodded. "Looking good so far boss."

"Alright Swain, let's follow the eye of the storm a little longer until we get a weather report, then we'll review our situation." She looked out at the still choppy, but currently calmer waters then raised the microphone again. "Darwin, Hammersley, we'd appreciate an update on the storm front before committing ourselves completely but so far that looks good."

"_Roger Hammersley, I'll have my RO contact NAVCOM and update them and get you the latest reports. Fair winds."_

Two crew members entered the bridge and took up their positions. "Swain, I'm going to check on Charge and make sure the X's party are back inside, you have the ship."

"I have the ship ma'am."

Elena looked around and edged down the stairs, the motion straining her rib cage making her wrap her arm around herself for protection.

...

Dutchy carefully edged down the stairs behind RO and Buck as they returned from the deck, they were all soaked to the skin, despite wearing wet weather gear, but until they had checked in with Elena there was no prospect of a hot shower or dry clothes. He made a mental note to get one of the crew to mop the puddles of water that had come in with them from the rain still battering the deck. At least the ship wasn't rolling and pitching as much, so their foot holds were a little more secure.

"Buck, get one of the crew to mop up all this water and get those waterproofs stowed where they're not going to drip everywhere." Dutchy instructed, happy to feel the vibrations of the ships engines under him, as he peeled off the wet raincoat and handed it to Buck, who hurried off to follow the order.

RO glared at Buck as he disappeared then looked down at the heavy coat he was still wearing. Pinching the front carefully with 2 fingers he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, "I need to get out of these wet things and get to the comcen."

"Not so fast," Dutchy stopped him, picking up on the radio operator's attempt to escape. "We need to check with the captain first." RO gave him a mutinous glare, but said nothing.

Dutchy felt a trickle of water run down his neck and flinched, then hauled the wet camouflage shirt over his head and balled it in his hand, just as Elena walked towards them. He caught her eye as she stopped suddenly and he couldn't help but grin at her and raise his eyebrow.

Before anyone could speak the door at the top of the stairs slammed and an agonised wail came from the XO as he tumbled down the stairs amid another cascade of water and came to a stop at Dutchy's feet.

...

Mike re-entered the command centre and was immediately assailed by a young lieutenant. "Commander Flynn, Commander Wilson is on line sir he wishes to speak with you, they found the Hammersley."

Mike froze for a few seconds. He couldn't tell from the Lieutenant's expression whether it was good news or bad, he felt his stomach churn as he took a deep breath to prepare himself for the worst. With a curt nod to the officer he pointed to his office.

"I'll take it in there," he muttered and turned away. His office was safe, it was out of the direct eye line of the command centre and Maxine's office, he'd be able to accept the news in private and have a few moments to brace himself before passing on the details. He pushed the door closed and picked up the phone that was now ringing. "Tug," he greeted his old friend, despondently.

"_It's good news Mike, we picked them up on radar about 10 minutes ago and I've spoken to their CO on VHF, no serious injuries, they've had engine and electrical problems so they had no power or communications, I don't have the full picture yet, but they're underway again and we're planning a rendezvous."_

Mike ran his hand through his hair as he felt his stomach flip again, now his heart was racing too. "That is good news," he agreed, unable to voice much more at that moment.

"_The storms still raging pretty bad out here and Hammersley want us to give them a sitrep on the storm's path."_

"I'll get someone on it and get back to you. What's their current course and heading?"Mike asked, finally getting his head straight and asking the questions he knew everyone would want answers to.

"_Best I can give you right now is they're heading for the centre of the channel, I'll check their comms situation and have them contact you direct if they're able."_

"Good, I'll wait to hear from you and them, for now I'll have someone send you the weather update."

With a few final greetings Mike replaced the phone receiver on his desk and let out a deep breath, along with it some of the tension he had stored up in the last few hours. He slowly heaved himself from the chair as he heard the door open and he looked up to find Maxine fixing him with a subdued look.

"They said you were talking to Darwin," she started, her voice nearly cracking under the strain.

He smiled. "They're safe," was all he could manage and as he watched the tension leave her face he pulled himself together. "I'm waiting for a full report, but it seems they lost all power and communications. Charge got them back on line a few minutes ago. No major casualties from what we gather."

"That is good news, Mike." She breathed holding his gaze. "You'd better ring Kate and tell her, then get out there and get back to the relief effort."

"I will, can you have someone pull an up-to-date weather report for Hammersley and Darwin?"

"I'll do that, we'll talk later." She acknowledged and backed out of the room as Mike reached for the phone.

...

As Elena walked towards the bedraggled crew she knew they hadn't seen her yet, so she was able to observe them for a moment. Dutchy and RO seemed to be exchanging words and she wasn't impressed with the look RO gave to her buffer, which he missed. She was about to call him on it when Dutchy shrugged and yanked off his shirt. It left him standing in a puddle of water and his t-shirt stuck to him like a second skin, showing his taut muscles and reminding her of what had transpired the previous night. She wasn't aware that she had stopped, or that he was grinning at her until she caught the flick of his eyebrow, as if questioning her. She resisted the urge to step forward and trace her hands across his chest, after all RO was still fixed to the spot staring disgustedly at his soaking raincoat like it was an alien skin. She was about to instruct him to go and change when a howl of pain and thumping sound broke her attention in time to see the X land at Dutchy's feet.

Glancing down at the X, Elena could immediately see he was in considerable pain and stepped closer, Dutchy stepped back, not wishing to appear to crowd her assessment of the situation. RO remained motionless.

The XO grunted as he tried to moved and Elena quickly put her hand on his shoulder. "Keep still," she encouraged as she quickly looked him over, then looked up, "RO get out of that wet mac and go get Swain, Dutchy bring the medical kit and a stretcher from the ward room." She looked at the XO's legs again then up at Dutchy, trying hard to focus on her injured sailor rather than the rain soaked one standing barely inches away from her. "Swain will probably want a splint too."

Dutchy nodded, then turned and took a few steps away. "RO the boss just gave you an order, don't just stand there," he snapped at the Radio Operator, who seemed oblivious to the brief commotion around him as he continued to stare at his raincoat. "RO, out of that wet coat now and fetch Swain," he instructed when the other sailor finally looked up.

Looking around he noticed the XO laying on the floor with his left leg bent at an unnatural angle and he winced. "Yeah, uh right." He finally peeled off the coat dropping it where he stood and walked away, leaving wet footprints in his wake.

As Elena continued to console the X, Dutchy glanced at her once more and then moved to follow his own orders.

...

Kate felt the phone vibrate in her pocket and she hurriedly withdrew it, but dropped it as her hand shook. Nikki quickly retrieved it and held it out for her. "It's Mike," she informed her friend, waiting until she was certain the other woman was holding it properly this time before she let go. The class had fallen silent when the phone clattered to the floor, so Nikki indicated that Kate should take the call outside, then turned to the class as their instructor left the room.

"We've had some good discussion so far but I want to know what you think has happened and what each group are doing about solving the situation, I'll give you 2 minutes to pick your top 3 options. Then we'll have a group discussion on the merits of each one." Nikki informed the class, then rested back against a table as she listened in on bits of discussion from each team.

Outside the class, Kate finally accepted the call and rested the phone to her ear. "Mike?"

_"They're all safe, Darwin picked them up about 30 minutes ago."_ He informed her and gave her a minute to compose herself.

"What happened?"

_"Engine trouble, other than that we're not sure yet, the ships afloat and under her own steam to rendezvous with Darwin."_

"And everyone's alright?"

_"As far as we know. We're waiting for a report on their comms situation and how stable their engines are, but Tug Wilson spoke to their CO and said she seemed fine and in control. They were pretty battered by the storm and a few of the crew got some bruises, but so far as we know nothing serious."_

"Thank God!" she sighed, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes for a minute. "I wish I was there, I feel so helpless here."

_"Trust me it's no better sitting here, we've been just as concerned. There a good crew Kate, they'll come home safe."_

"I know, I do, it's just- they're my crew even if I'm not there."

_"I know, I still feel that way, I guess it hasn't been long enough since I posted off not to feel it. When you get back and the ship's finished this rotation we should arrange something, get everyone together."_

"That'd be nice." She answered opening her eyes and pushing herself away from the wall on seeing a senior officer approach her. "Mike I have to go, I'll call you later to get a full report."

"I look forward to it." Kate finished the call and dropped the phone into her pocket with one hand while saluting the officer with the other. "Sir?"

"Lt-Cdr McGregor, I thought you were in class," he commented.

"Sorry sir, I had an urgent call from NAVCOM in Cairns, concerning my ship."

"HMAS Hammersley? I was just on my way to speak to you about that, what have you heard?"

"That they've been found and appear to be safe and well sir." Kate responded meeting a more quizzical look from the other officer.

"You're jungle drums obviously work better than mine, we've only just heard they were missing."

"Commander Flynn just called to let me know, he's been keeping me in the loop for the last few hours, not that there has been much to report. It appears there was some kind of engine failure."

"I see. Very well, I should let you go back to your class. Do you mind if I sit in?"

"No sir," Kate cringed inwardly, not sure what to say about her impromptu lesson plan. "I should warn you though that it isn't quite the lesson that was scheduled. I thought it would be a good opportunity to have them do a real exercise. We're about to wrap everything up."

"You're running a scenario on what's been going on with your ship?"

Kate nodded, slightly nervous at how it would be perceived. "Yes Sir."

"Then I'm intrigued what all these bright minds of the navy have to say on the situation."

Kate turned to the door and re-entered the room, Nikki looked at her curiously then sprung to attention, copied by the class as they all saluted the senior officer.

"As you were, good to see you Lt-Cdr Caetano,"

"You too sir." She greeted and turned to the class. "I'm ready to hear arguments, Kez, you're commanding the Hammersley, what is your take on the situation?"

"I'm sorry, but before you start," Kate interjected taking a couple of steps towards the students and sharing the good news. "I'd like to inform you that I've just received word that the ship and crew are safe and heading for a rendezvous with HMAS Darwin."

A cheer went up from the class of trainee officers as the senior officers in the room shared a smile at the response.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, comments on your way out are welcome and encourage writing ... Next chapter will not be before next weekend due to exam.  
_


	8. Reporting In

_Thanks to everyone for feedback on the last part. Exam's over, so I'm back to writing ...  
_

_Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed. _

_.  
_

**Part 8 – Reporting in**

Dutchy returned to the fallen sailor to find Swain taking a closer look at the XO's injured leg as Elena tried to keep him calm.

"Swain, your medical bag," Dutchy announced drawing their attention, he noticed Elena stiffen slightly but her focus remained on the XO who was in a lot of pain and finding it difficult to remain still.

Swain took the offered bag and looked at Elena, "Ma'am, I'll need some morphine from the safe and to speak to a medic, we'll also need a medivac, it looks like it's fractured very close to the ankle."

"I'll talk to RO see if we can get a message to Darwin or NAVCOM and get you some help. She released the grip she had on the XO's shoulder and stood up, finally looking at Dutchy. "Stay with Swain, I'll round up some extra bodies to help move the X to the ward room and send Bird down to assist."

"Understood." He assumed her place next to the XO and was grateful he hadn't stopped to change into some dry clothes as he was now kneeling in the puddle of water at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up and watched Elena as she walked away, it was hard to believe they'd only been crash sailed that morning and taking into account the supplies being loaded only at sea for about 5 hours, it seemed like weeks. He was pulled from his daydream as the XO howled when Swain continued his assessment of the injury. "Don't worry Sir, Swain will soon have some of the good stuff for you," he assured the X.

"That's right mate, I just don't recommend calling the CO an angel if she stops by to see you later though," Swain added with a brief grin at Dutchy.

He winced, the story about him and their then XO had done the rounds after he had been injured going snorkelling around a wreck on his own and then trying to play the hero and join a shore party to rescue some of his ship-mates. It had taken a while for that story to sink, thankfully it happened slightly quicker than he imagined when on their next patrol the CO disappeared, apparently the victim of a drug smuggling ring. That had been a trip to forget, but in practice it wasn't going to be that easy. However it appeared his delirious pass at the XO hadn't sunk as far as he hoped though as he gave Swain an uneasy smile in return, wondering what Elena would make of it if she heard. He could imagine her turning the screws and taunting him, probably worse than the crew had. He glanced along the passageway then back at the XO who was still moaning and writhing on the floor. He rested his hand on the man's shoulder, in almost the same spot that Elena's had been a short while before.

"Take it easy mate, you've got to stay still or you'll make it worse."

A clatter of footsteps on the stairs beside them announced the arrival of Charge, covered in grease and looking more like he been inside the engine than just fixing it.

"We should be good for a couple of hours, I'm going to need to take them off line again later, but they should see us through to a safe anchor. What happened here?" He asked, almost as an afterthought seeing the XO on the ground.

"He slipped coming in from the deck, broken leg," Swain informed Charge briefly. "We're going to need a hand to move him when the Boss comes back, think you can get washed up to help us?"

"I'd love to say yes, but it's gonna take a while," he commented holding his hands up, so Swain could see the extent of the oil and grease up his arms. "I'll see if I can round anyone else up along the way. 2-dads should be around," Charge offered then skirted around them and headed for his cabin.

...

Elena opened the safe and removed several small vials, then locked it again. She debated about changing her wet clothes from where she had been kneeling next to the X, but decided against it in case she needed to assist further, but the feel of the wet cloth against her legs somehow reminded her of the image of Dutchy when he had stripped off his shirt a short while before. She tightened her hand around the bottles she was holding and tried to dispel the desire to … to what? She couldn't exactly do anything, she was already aware that the fraternisation rules had been used too many times lately on the ship and she was fully aware that the normal CO and Commander Flynn had skirted the issue for years before he finally posted off allowing them to be together.

Despite only having known him less than 24 hours, was that all? It felt like a lifetime since Dutchy had chatted her up at the bar. Shaking her head she looked at the vials in her hand and switched back into CO mode and went in search of RO.

She found him just entering the comcen after getting changed.

"RO, get me a call to NAVCOM or Darwin, we need a medic on line to speak to Swain, when that's arranged, I'll need to speak to Commander Flynn at NAVCOM and I want a full sitrep on our comms situation now we have power restored."

"Yes ma'am," he muttered and closed the door. She turned and headed for the bridge.

"Bird, Swain will need you in the ward room to assist him, 2-dads, get 2 relief crew up here and you can report to the boat deck hatch to help move the X. Buck you stay here, keep me informed of any sign we're heading out of the eye of the storm." She instructed the crew quickly.

A chorus of "yes Ma'am" echoed around her and she turned back to deliver the morphine.

…..

Dutchy watched her return, he couldn't read her expression, except for the fact that she was avoiding eye contact with him. Maybe it was for the best, neither of them could afford to stuff this up. He'd finally begun to feel at home on Hammersley after the traumas of the Gulf; he needed a stable posting and after a rocky start he loved being on a patrol boat. It was more and more like having a huge family. She needed to stay in Cairns and he wasn't about to jeopardise that for her.

She stopped and knelt down, handing the drugs to Swain. "Here you go, let me know if you need more."

"Thanks ma'am," he answered.

She cast her eye over the casualty and noticed he was no longer conscious. "Passed out from the pain?"

"Yeah, right now it's probably for the best, I'll have to splint his leg before I move him."

"Anything I can do?"

"How's your medical training? You wouldn't happen to be a doctor in secret would you?" Swain asked, glancing at her briefly, as he prepared the syringe with the drugs for the X.

"No but I was back up medic for a year so I know a thing or two." She answered.

"Okay, I'll give him this," Swain held up the syringe of morphine, "Ma'am can you stabilise his leg while we get the mac off?"

Nodding agreement she carefully stepped over the patient in the confined space and under Swain's guidance knelt by his feet and carefully applied enough of a hold to keep his leg still.

"How are we going to do this?" asked Dutchy.

"There isn't an easy way, so let's just do it because if he comes round-"

"I get it." Dutchy answered as they began to raise him to a sitting position and removed the heavy rain coat and his camouflage shirt.

Elena was concentrating so hard on her task she missed the brief glance Dutchy gave her as they lay the patient back down and Swain administered the painkillers into his arm.

"I should get back to the bridge, Swain, can you manage without me now?" she asked when her contribution was over.

"Yeah, I'll need some help to splint and move him and talk to Fleet Medical," he answered. She glanced at both her sailors and could see exhaustion setting in, they all needed a break but there was no immediate prospect of that.

"RO's on it, hopefully he'll have them patched through to the ward room by the time you get there. Dutchy, when the XO's been moved, make sure you get some dry clothes before reporting to the bridge, I'll need you to take the ship while I debrief with Charge." She felt her stomach churn as she caught the look in his eye, it was a mixture of exhaustion and concern. She started to stand up, but felt the bruise of her ribs again and sat down again, Dutchy stood up and offered her his hand.

"Those ribs still playing up ma'am?" Swain asked, glancing at her.

"Better than they were, I shouldn't move too fast though." She answered, starting to push herself to her feet again, feeling the ache spread across her chest she finally relented and accepted Dutchy's hand and he helped her up, before letting go he squeezed her hand a little tighter, prompting her to look at him. "Thank you," she mumbled before stepping away and heading towards the bridge.

"Are you sure she hasn't broken anything?" Dutchy asked resuming his position next to the XO to help with the splint.

"I'll make sure she gets checked out by a doctor when we're ashore, but you know yourself, even bruised ribs hurt like hell. Here," Swain lifted the splint over to Dutchy, "I'll handle his leg, can you slide this under?"

...

Mike left his office and headed for the main command centre and waylaid the young officer from earlier, "Lieutenant, have we heard from Hammersley yet?"

"They're on the line with Fleet Medical first, then I'll patch them through," he answered.

"Fleet Medical? I thought everyone was okay." Mike responded a little concerned.

"Seems their XO took a bad fall."

Mike looked around and ran his hand through his hair. "I want to speak to their CO as soon as Fleet Medical are done," Mike instructed, wondering what the hell had happened now.

"Yes, sir." The young man acknowledged turning back to his desk.

Mike stood and waited for a few minutes, watching the activity in their command centre before wandering back to his office. He sat at his desk and debated how to handle the call, if the XOs injuries were serious then he needed a plan to backfill the position, not easy with no staff to spare in Cairns right then. The phone rang drawing him from his thoughts.

"Flynn, ... Hi Kate," he greeted feeling a little more relaxed at hearing her voice. "You finished for the day?"

"Yeah, class dismissed. How are things up there? Is there anymore news?" she asked, as expected.

"Nothing yet, comms have been restored, Swain's on with Fleet Medical, looks like your XO took a fall, I don't know yet how serious, in fact I thought you might have been my call with the CO, but this is better."

"Does anyone have any idea what happened to them?"

"Not really, I hope its fixable and we can keep them out there, we need them for the relief effort." Mike sat at his desk and flipped through a file as he spoke.

"I just thought I'd check in, Nav's here and we're going for dinner together, says to give her love to everyone."

"I'm glad you're not on your own down there. I'll call you later and give you all the details, enjoy dinner and say hello to Nikki for me." A beeping echoed in his ear, "I'm sorry Kate I've got another call, I'll have to go."

"Just make sure you call me later." Kate hung up without waiting for a response and Mike picked up the other call.

"Mike Flynn, ... Lt-Cdr Larkin, good to hear from you at last, would you mind telling me what's been going on with my ship?" His words were firm, but his tone softened the question a little, he just wanted to be put in the picture.

"_Commander Flynn, it's good to speak to you too. A summary report is on its way to you by email, but I'll give you the highlights."_

"I understand you had engine problems." Mike began, giving her the lead to report what happened.

"_Charge picked up an anomaly with the sensors in the marine link console, indicating they were overheating, him and Leading Seaman Kosov-Meyer ran a number of checks and found a short circuit in the electronic control panel at the same time as the cooling pumps seized. The initial discovery reduced our engine power by half and the discovery of the combined fault left him with no choice but to bring down all power. The electrical short also affected our back up systems leaving us dead in the water."_

Mike had listened carefully to her summary and from what he knew it all sounded plausible, but the engineers would have to report on it and some kind of investigation would be required to assess whether this was an isolated incident or could affect other assets. "Thank you. I look forward to reading the full report. Have Charge report his findings directly to the engineers and copy myself and Commander White."

"_I'll let him know, he's still busy with follow up here right now and ensuring it's not going to happen again. We're taking an easy line back to Lockhart River and to rendezvous with HMAS Darwin."_

"That's good, just make sure we have today's reports as soon as possible and before you start relief efforts."

"_Yes sir," _Elena acknowledged.

"I understand you've got the latest weather update, it looks like the storm is blowing out, so you should have an easier trip back."

"_Yes, that's good news."_

"So how is everyone?" Mike asked ready to broach the other subject he was wondering about.

"_That's our other problem. The XO had been out on deck and slipped on the stairs coming in, he's got a broken leg, Swain was talking to Fleet Medical and requesting a medivac. I need to shuffle some personnel until you get me a replacement."_

"What was he doing on deck?" Mike asked, surprised that anyone would have been out in the storm.

"_With some of the crew ready to lower the anchor to keep us off the reef, as you'll be aware Commander, the only way to do that with no power is manually from the deck." Mike nodded to himself, he knew that, but was a little surprised to hear they were that close to the reef. "I've given your lieutenant details of our co-ordinates and path to rejoin HMAS Darwin and we're planning to maintain a 15 minute check in."_

"That sounds sensible under the circumstances. What is the ETA to your rendezvous?"

"_About 45 minutes to Darwin who will escort us to safe anchor at Lockhart River."_

"Very good what are you intending on arrival?"

"_I'm going to re-evaluate the situation with the engines and debrief with the senior sailors, I will check in with you again after that."_

"Alright, let me know immediately if anything changes." Mike concluded.

* * *

_This is the start of the after-storm drama, more to come next when a confrontation ensues over a decision Elena is forced to take ..._

_I've written ahead a bit, so more in store for you soon, comments on your way out are good too ... _


	9. Dutchy's your man!

_Thanks to everyone for feedback on the last part. I'm having an issue with posting over on SP site, so readers here get first hit tonight...  
_

_ Any characters you recognise are not mine and are only borrowed. _

_**.**_

_**Part 9 – Dutchy's your man**_

Following the rendezvous with Darwin and the evacuation of the X to be taken care of by their doctor pending full medivac, Charge entered the ship's office. Elena was waiting for him, sitting with a mug of tea, enjoying the calm that had now fallen over the ship since the storm had finally abated. Hearing the door go she looked up.

"Charge, well done with the engines," she greeted on seeing the ship's engineer.

"They'll need some coaxing for a while until I can assess them properly, but we're good for now," he replied while helping himself to a brew. "How are you ma'am?"

"I'm okay, nothing I haven't seen before." Elena was quiet for a moment while Charge finished mixing the milk and sugar in his tea, when he turned back to her she waved him to a seat at the table and waited until he seemed to be comfortably seated. "Charge with the X gone, we have to have someone step up and cover his duties, you're the next in line, think you can do it?"

"I know I can, but right now I shouldn't take my eyes off those engines, we lose them again and I don't know if I'll get them back," he replied seriously before taking a mouthful of his tea, giving him time to think. "I know my rank says it should be me, but honestly I think it should be Dutchy, he's the best placed in terms of his position to take over."

Elena tried to keep an impassive look on her face as she wondered whether having Dutchy as 2IC would work. "I understand your reluctance, but I have to think of the bigger picture here, I could order you to step up," she answered slowly, with a degree of thought.

"Even without the engines, I'd give you the same advice, I'm an engineer, I'm not made for command, I honestly think Dutchy's your man," Elena nearly choked on her tea at Charge's words, _her man? _Oh, god, this was going to make things even more complicated.

"Not Swain? Hasn't he got seniority on Hammersley?" she asked, suppressing the coughing fit, but feeling the ache across her ribs from the effort.

"Yes, he has, but ma'am, you're going to need him using all of his skills elsewhere when we reach Lockhart River-" Charge stopped as the door opened and Swain entered, he looked around and noticed the boss.

"Sorry ma'am, just wanted a brew," he indicated the kettle.

"That's fine Swain, we were just discussing who should step up and cover for the X, what do you say?" Elena responded.

He seemed to think for a minute, then looked at the CPO at the table, "no offence Charge, but I think Dutchy's the logical choice,"

"That's what I just said," Charge confirmed.

No one said anything for a minute, "you have reservations?" Swain asked eventually, looking at Elena.

"Not really," she admitted, after all she had no doubt he was capable, but could they work that closely together? "You think the crew would accept that decision?"

"Captain's choice ma'am, they shouldn't question it. There is no logical option under the circumstances, Charge needs to babysit the engines and I'll have my hands full with other duties once we go ashore ... Dutchy has more broad experience than me or Charge and he's backed up the X before," Swain answered.

"It's the perfect solution ma'am, I'll be able to watch over things here when you're all ashore, I'll task 2-dads with my responsibilities," Charge added, "might do the scoundrel some good."

She somehow felt that they were secretly ganging up on her, but the logical side of her brain agreed, _HE_ was the only option. She nodded her head and stood up. "I'd better go find him and let him know then." Leaving her cup in the sink, she left the room.

Swain sat opposite Charge with his own mug of tea, "is it me or is there something off with those two?"

"Who? The boss and Dutchy?" asked Charge.

Swain shrugged, "maybe it's just me, but didn't it seem like she was after every answer except the obvious?"

"She just wants to make sure she's doing what's right for the ship." Charge answered, "I'd better get back to the engines and see how they're holding up." He got up from the table and added his cup to the sink, a thoughtful look on his face before turning back to Swain, "you really think she's got a problem with Dutchy?"

"Forget it. I guess it's just been a long day. Can't believe it was only this morning I was having breakfast with Sally and Chloe."

...

It was almost an hour after the discussion with Charge and Swain when Elena got the butterflies in her stomach under control enough to call the ship's buffer to her cabin. She had agonised about whether to use the ship's office or the cabin, she wanted it to be a private meeting, but anyone could walk into the office, at least with her cabin they would have to knock first. She couldn't help wondering though if that would set the wrong tone. Neither of them had discussed the night before since that brief exchange on the bridge during the storm. She decided that she would do her best to keep things professional and hope that he could do the same. She would have to give him a warning about undressing in her presence though, although to be fair he hadn't realised she was there at first.

She could see why Charge had advised her to choose Dutchy for the job, the fact that Swain had agreed pretty much left her with no option. She just hoped they could both get through the task ahead of them without the crew finding out what had happened the night before, however she was unsure what else may come out of their conversation and therefore it cemented in her mind that that the ship's office was not the right place.

...

Dutchy was at the helm as they steamed towards their original destination. Due to arrive in about an hour, they were all glad the storm had finally but quickly blown itself out; however, by the time they arrived it would be almost dark and the assistance they could provide immediately would be limited. Their relief effort would start in earnest at first light, when they would see for themselves the destruction the storm had caused. He wondered what Elena was going to do about an acting 2IC, Charge was the obvious choice because of his rank, he was aware she had spoken to him and Swain earlier, but no announcement had been made yet, no doubt she was waiting to have confirmation from NAVCOM about when to expect a replacement. It didn't bother him she hadn't discussed it with him, he knew both the others had rank or ship seniority over him, even though he knew he could do the job.

He couldn't help his mind drifting and thinking about her and he wondered whether it she would have plagued his thoughts as much if she had remained ashore. Dinner had been good; it was rare that he found someone he could talk to so easily about anything and he loved the way she reacted when he teased her. Their jobs were barely mentioned, he knew she had just moved to town and was going to be working for a big employer in their local office and he assumed, wrongly as it turned out, that it was likely to be a main stream business or law firm or something, but having seen her in action he could tell she loved her job and was good at it.

He couldn't shake the feeling that what had started out as a friendly dinner to keep her company, had so quickly turned into something else. Maybe it was down to the intensity with which the sparks had flown between them as they stood on the beach before the storm began, maybe it was the sight of her rain soaked clothes clinging to her- Maybe if you listened to one of Charge's conspiracy theories, they'd been struck by lightning, but whatever happened, he felt like he wanted more, like she was a drug he was craving, only this time it felt different to the women he'd been with before. He guessed from the look on her face in the hallway earlier that she had seen him remove his shirt and for a few seconds was thinking about the beach. He also guessed that she wouldn't forget the moment either.

A tap on his shoulder drew him sharply from his thoughts. "You okay mate, you were away with the fairies," Swain greeted.

Dutchy ran a hand over his face. "Just tired, it's been a long day and it's not over yet," he mumbled.

"Well, the good news is I'm here to relieve you, I guess you didn't sleep much last night, that blond keep you up late?" Swain challenged. "Thought you would have learnt your lesson after last time."

"She's not married, or trying to off her husband, or me; this time I'm sure." Dutchy answered, peering out the window.

"So what is her story?" the coxswain pressed.

Pushing himself from the chair and allowing Swain to take over he remained quiet. "Why is everyone so interested in my love life?" he grumbled eventually without answering the question.

"Not everyone, has RO asked yet?" Swain asked with a wry grin.

Dutchy shook his head, "I'm going to grab brew and hit the rack for an hour if you don't need me."

Swain smirked at him, "as much as I feel for you mate, the boss wants a word in her cabin. Sleep is going to have to wait."

After handing over the ship, Dutchy headed for the stairs, Swain watched him go. It had been a rough afternoon on everyone, they were all exhausted from the battering the storm had given them. He turned to look out to sea and looked back when footsteps sounded on the stairs.

"Thought you were hiding out with the engines," Swain greeted as Charge appeared.

"I came up for a break and to check the console readings. Just saw Dutchy, he's looking like a man condemned. Something happen?"

"I think he's feeling the effects of last night on top of the storm. The boss just called for him too."

"I was right, a man condemned," smiled Charge picking up some papers from the marine link console.

Swain chuckled and turned back to keep look-out.

...

Dutchy stood outside her door glancing furtively up and down the hall, as he pondered what was going to happen next. The last time a door had separated them she had opened it to reveal herself wrapped in a towel. He didn't count this morning when he thought he was knocking on CO Kate McGregor's door.

He wished he could have grabbed some sleep before seeing her, but you didn't ignore a request from the CO. So now here he was trying to find the courage to knock on her door and dispel images of another time when he was behind closed doors with another woman on the ship; that was a time that he'd much rather forget, but he figured it wouldn't be hard for much longer if things worked out. He glanced up and down the hallway again, all he had to do was knock, it shouldn't be that hard to talk to her, after all it was just one night, but there had been a connection, one that wasn't easy to shake.

With a final look at the hallway he finally lifted his hand and rapped briefly on the door. She must have been waiting because it opened right away. She stepped back letting him enter and he pushed the door open.

"Close the door, there are a few things we need to discuss." Her tone was rather formal and gave nothing away about their personal situation, which confused him somewhat.

"Ma'am?" He stressed the word, belying his confusion.

"You heard, close the door," she repeated firmly as she held his gaze. He was unable to detect what was actually going on in her mind and slowly he turned away and closed the door.

"This is a bad idea," he stated turning back to her.

"I know, but I bet that if the X were here instead of you nothing would matter, it's normal for the commanding officer and their second in command to have private meetings, right?"

"I guess so," Dutchy answered, still confused about where this meeting was going.

"So get used to the idea, you just became my number 2." She answered watching the expression on his face change from confusion to shock and his eyes glared back.

"Me? Why not Charge or Swain?" He asked, first pointing at himself and then waving his hand at some vague area of the ship beyond her cabin. "I thought-"

"You thought wrong Dylan, Charge needs to focus on the engines and Swain is going to be busy with his other duties when we go ashore. ... If it's any consolation, I wanted Charge to step up, but he refused. They both nominated you."

"You spoke to them about me?" she knew he was trying to figure her out from the expressions on his face, but it wasn't going to be an easy task.

"No I spoke to them about them, I offered the position to Charge, he backed off immediately and told me in no uncertain terms that you were my man."

Dutchy laughed at the look crossing Elena's face as she told him. "He really said that?"

"Really. The question I have is can you do it?" She leant back against the wall of her cabin and rubbed her ribs.

"I can do the job, whatever you need me to do, I'll do, but you and me-" he stopped for a few seconds before deciding to continue with what was really on his mind. "You know what I want to do right now?"

"You shouldn't say, but I'm intrigued," she pushed, their eyes locked together, she knew this was going to get personal, but that didn't stop either of them.

"First I want to strip that uniform off you and make sure those ribs really are okay," he answered his gaze never leaving hers.

"My ribs are fine!" she snapped, "what else?" she prodded, sensing he hadn't said all he wanted to. "I'm sure you've got plenty more you want to say."

"There's a lot more that I could say, but that wouldn't stop me from wanting to kiss you right now," he replied abruptly.

"Well we both know that's not going to happen, so how about we talk about the XOs duties which you need to assume?" She fired back at him, their intense staring match showing no signs of abating.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You don't have to call me that all the time you know," she replied in just that tone she'd discovered gained a certain reaction from him.

"I know, but you seemed to like it last night," he reminded her taking a step towards her ensuring she noticed the glint in his eyes and knew he was taunting her.

They were playing a dangerous game and it needed to stop before it got completely out of hand. Elena wondered if maybe the ship's office would have been a better idea. "That was when you were being a gentleman," she shot back softly. Before he could respond she shifted her gaze finally and pushed herself away from the wall, several feet still separating them as he stepped back and leant his shoulder against the door. "Dylan we have to stop this. I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying it, but here, now, we've already broken about a dozen rules."

"Maybe we should talk later about my new responsibilities," he suggested, giving them the option to step back and regain control of their emotions, "when we're less distracted."

"Will the next time be any better? Or the one after that? We can't put things off forever, we've got to run this ship and deal with the relief effort, I'm not ready to fail because I gave in to you last night."

"I don't want to fail either, but we should talk about last night."

"When we're off the ship," she replied quickly, squashing any further banter between them. "Before I give you your new orders there's one thing-" she stopped and looked at him. "I'll forgive the lapse of judgement earlier, but please remember some of the seamen are still young and impressionable, I do not want to hear reports of you scaring them half to death because they caught you undressing in the hallway."

"Did I scare you half to death?"he asked his trademark grin crossing his face.

"It's not anything I haven't seen before," she answered casually then launched into giving him his new orders. "I'd like you to organise some new rosters for the crew, I'll take over the XO's watches unless you can split them between yourself, Swain and Charge. Seaman Webb has joined us from Darwin, he was on board until about a year ago, so most of the crew know him, I get the impression him and 2-dads can be quite a handful, but his heart's in the right place. I'm waiting to hear from NAVCOM as to when we can expect a replacement XO."

The next few minutes were filled with ships business before they both left her cabin.

* * *

_Please leave a note on your way out and let me know what you like ..._


	10. A little downtime

T_he good news is that I think I've got a possible solution to the missing muse, so I'm off to try and write ... meanwhile I hope you enjoy this, another chapter will be up Saturday.  
_

**Part 10 – A little downtime**

Leaving her cabin Elena turned towards the bridge while Dutchy went the opposite direction, glad to have a few minutes to get his head around what had just happened. He just hoped that being a relief effort they wouldn't need to work as closely together as if it was a normal patrol. He wasn't sure that he could stay as detached as his former CO and XO seemed to have done. Maybe he should have said earlier that he couldn't do it, then she would have recused herself. It was still only the first day of an open-ended patrol and the thought of being this close to her and keeping things neutral was already interfering with his mind.

He pushed open the door to the boat deck and stepped out, pleased that the swell of the waves had settled and the grey skies were lifting, leaving them sailing in the weak afternoon sun. Moving across to the railing he rested both hands on it, tipped his head back, closed his eyes and tried to clear his head, while he soaked up the soft breeze wafting around.

...

Elena stepped onto the bridge and checked in with Swain before heading outside herself, except that she stayed on the fly bridge where it was quiet. She liked the period after a storm when everything was fresh and in a way renewed. She took a deep breath and took in the salty air; letting it flow through her seemed to calm her a little. Looking over at the decks below she could see some of the crew venturing out to enjoy the air after being stuck inside for most of the afternoon. There was a more casual air beginning to float around the ship, which helped to lighten the mood and give people more energy than she had seen in the immediate aftermath of the storm and their close call with the reef.

She smiled, it was going to be a difficult evolution, the one downside to these storms was the destruction they caused and she hated that. Knowing they were heading into a disaster zone and seeing the devastation wasn't going to be easy on anyone, especially after their own near miss. She didn't begrudge the crew these few minutes of down time enabling them to chill out and recharge their batteries. She glanced at her watch, the five minutes she'd allowed herself were up and she took a final look around the decks, her eyes falling on the figure at the rails. She was about to go back inside when he turned and looked at her, causing her to stop for a few seconds. Hearing the door open behind her she finally turned away.

"Sorry ma'am," greeted the young sailor with a brief salute. "I'm just taking a look around again."

"Seaman Webb, have you settled in?"

"Yes ma'am, it's a bit like coming home, I served here for 3 years, one on the old Hammersley, two on this one."

"We're glad to have you, I'm grateful Darwin could spare the extra hands."

"Thank you Ma'am." Elena glanced once more at the figure at the railing and turned back inside, moving to the command chair next to Swain at the helm.

"Captain has the ship," he announced, glancing over at her. "Everything alright ma'am?"

"Yes, Swain, thanks for that. I love being outside after a storm, it just seems to give me that extra boost of energy." He smiled indulgently. "How long to anchor?"

"About an hour at current speed," he answered.

"Okay let's see what I can do about giving some of the crew a little downtime. ... Can Seaman Webb handle the helm?"

"Spider? Yes ma'am."

"Good, he can take over from you until we're ready to drop anchor."

"I'm fine boss," he replied quickly.

"It's not up for debate Swain, take a break." She reached up for the microphone above her head, briefly forgetting her ribs which, although a lot easier than earlier, were still giving her the odd moment of discomfort. Taking a moment to centre herself she pressed the transmit button. "Hear there, Captain speaking, for those of you who haven't heard, the XO was injured during the storm and has now been safely transferred to the care of the Doctor on HMAS Darwin, who confirmed Swain's diagnosis of a broken leg. PO Mulholland will be taking over most of the XO's duties until further notice. Seaman Webb, who many of you already know has rejoined Hammersley on loan from Darwin until the situation with our engines has been fully assessed and a repair plan put in place. Crew rotas will be reviewed in light of the changes, but for now all personnel not on watch can take some downtime. Special sea duty and cable parties will be required in about 45 minutes for the approach to our anchor point at Lockhart River. Finally, I know you don't want to hear me talk all night, but I want to thank you for all your efforts during the storm, it was a particularly rough ride, and I'm proud of you all for keeping cool and getting on with the job. That is all."

Swain looked over as she carefully replaced the microphone. "That was nice of you ma'am," he commented. "Giving the crew a boost."

"Everyone deserves it, now get Spider up here and go chill out for a bit," she instructed.

"What about you ma'am?"

"I'm fine, I'll cover the rest of the XO's watch, you and Dutchy need a break. Charge is on too so we're covered for now."

Swain finally relented, "if you insist ma'am."

...

Once safely at anchor, Elena, Dutchy, Swain and 2-dads boarded the RHIB with some key medical supplies and radios and headed towards the small marina. Once they were ashore they were met by the local police chief and a councillor.

"Lt-Cdr Larkin, my senior staff, Petty Officers Mulholland and Blake and Leading Seaman Kosov-Meyer representing our engineer," she quickly introduced them.

"Ken Slater, local police chief and Councillor Paul Thompson," the younger of the two men responded giving Elena a confused look. "We're glad to see you, although we hoped we might get some assistance earlier," he added as the team shared handshakes.

"I'm sorry, we hoped to be here earlier, but we hit the 2nd storm and had problems of our own," Elena was quick to try and smooth a potentially prickly situation. "We've brought a couple of SAT-Phones and some radios, along with some essential drugs for your clinic. We'll get more supplies to you as soon as we can although what we can do before dark is limited."

"Is there anything that needs attention right away?" asked Dutchy.

"Most of the community have at least some damage to their homes, a number have lost everything, they're currently housed at the school, but we're running low on food and blankets. The clinic thankfully survived pretty much intact," the councillor answered.

"Ma'am, I think we can get some things over before we lose all the light, permission to go ahead?" Dutchy asked.

Elena looked at him, "go ahead, take the RHIB and bring back both loaded with whatever you can carry." Dutchy nodded his acknowledgement and she turned her attention to the councillor again. "Could someone direct PO Blake to the clinic to deliver the medical supplies?" she asked.

"I can arrange that," Slater answered, waving at a police car sitting nearby, which pulled forward, Swain acknowledged Elena and moved off to begin loading supplies from the RHIB, taking 2-dads with him.

"Lt-Cdr, I'll brief you on our disaster recovery plan and we can discuss where to best place your people tomorrow so you can get started straight away." The councillor informed her, indicating that they should take a walk.

"Good, but first I'd like an idea of the area we're dealing with and any missing or trapped people, they should be our priority," she answered, hanging back a few extra seconds.

"Of course, I can walk you through town and we can talk on the way."

"Ma'am I'm going to push off, call me when you're ready to return to the ship." Dutchy informed her and turned towards the RHIB, pausing as 2-dads put the last box of medical supplies into the police car several feet away. "2-dads, I'm leaving you here, make sure you watch the boss's back."

"Sure Dutchy, although it looks like the Police Chief is planning that for himself," 2-dads replied flippantly, making Dutchy look back over to where Elena seemed in deep conversation, the councillor having moved some distance away to talk to someone else. Dutchy frowned and as if sensing him looking at her she looked up and their eyes locked for a moment before he turned away and jumped into the RHIB.

...

It was dark by the time the shore party had finished on land and met back at the RHIBs, 2-dads wandered over to Dutchy and Swain as Elena stood talking once again to the Police Chief.

"You two take the second RHIB with Buck and Spider; head back, get some SCRAN, I'll wait for the boss." Dutchy instructed them.

"You sure, we can all go back together," Swain suggested.

"She could be a while, get back and get the RHIB stowed," he confirmed.

"Alright mate, I'll get Bird to save you both something." Swain answered as they moved off. Dutchy waited for the RHIB to leave before walking the 100 yards to join Elena and Ken Slater. "Ma'am sorry to interrupt, but we should be getting back."

"Of course, thanks Dutchy, everything sorted for tonight?" she asked, turning towards him briefly; it amazed him how she could call him Dylan one minute and Dutchy the next as if it was the most natural thing.

"Best we can, we'll get the crew rested up and be ready to start again at first light," he replied.

"Ken, thanks for the tour and thank Councillor Thompson, I'll be back with my crew tomorrow and we can review what further assistance you'll require in the long term so that we can inform Canberra."

"I'm glad I got to meet you Elena, it's been an unexpected surprise and I'm sorry to hear about Niko."

Dutchy noticed the slight shudder that went through her as the other guy spoke and he wondered what they were talking about. She glanced at him, "Dutchy, I'll meet you by the RHIB." The look in her eyes told him not to press her right then, so he stepped back to where he was just out of earshot, but she was still in his line of sight.

"Elena, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put my foot in it with your crew," Slater stated looking at Dutchy waiting for her.

"No, you haven't, it's just that I got crash sailed with them this morning, I don't really know them yet and Niko is still a bit of a raw subject at times, especially when I'm caught off guard."

"I'm sorry for that too, I didn't intend to upset you, I just couldn't not say anything. ... Perhaps we can talk more before you leave once we've dealt with all the other business, if you'd like to," he offered.

Elena thought for a moment, several images running through her mind, she finally nodded. "Yes, I think I'd like that." Silence hung between them for a few moments, "I'd better get going. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll walk you down, to your boat."

"It's fine, Dutchy's waiting for me." She didn't want any form of a confrontation between the two of them and she had the sense, that Dutchy wasn't too thrilled when Slater had called her by her first name.

"Very well then. Niko always said you were independent." He reached out and lifted her hand to his lips in a gallant farewell gesture. "You need anything while you're here you can call me."

Elena withdrew her hand and turned towards the RHIB her eyes on the floor as she walked away from the Police Chief. She walked straight past Dutchy who hurriedly turned to join her. She never spoke and never acknowledged his presence until he stopped her before boarding the RHIB, his hand around her wrist. "Elena, are you alright?"

She quickly drew her arm from his light hold and nodded, "let's get back to Hammersley." She climbed in the RHIB and took one of the front seats. Dutchy paused for a second then released the mooring rope and climbed in too, taking up a position near the driver and instructing him to go.

Arriving at the ship Elena was first off the RHIB and had disappeared before he had finished arranging what was necessary to lift it from the water. He thought he would find her in the seniors mess having dinner, but only Swain was there finishing his meal.

"Hey, you not eating?" Swain greeted.

"I will, I just wanted to check in with the boss first, have you seen her?" Dutchy asked rapping his fingers on the door as he held it open.

"No, I didn't even know you guys are back. Try the CO's cabin" Swain suggested.

Dutchy backed out and closed the door and headed for the juniors mess. "2-dads, a word," he summoned, beckoning him closer.

"Dutchy can't it wait I'm starving." He whined, looking at the plate of food in front of him.

"No it can't and it won't take long."

2-dads relented and followed Dutchy into the deserted hallway. "Were you with the boss the whole time?" Dutchy asked quietly

"No, she sent me to help rig up a generator at the clinic, I was there most of the time, ask Swain."

"I told you to watch her back!" Dutchy just about growled.

"Sorry Dutchy but she ordered me, what am I supposed to do? Besides she was with the Police Chief so I figured she'd be fine."

"She ordered you?"

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" 2-dads challenged. "Can I finish dinner now?"

"Fine," Dutchy sighed, "go ahead." 2-dads disappeared and he stood and thought for a moment then turned to the serving hatch.

...

Back on the ship Elena had retreated to her cabin. She needed a breather, time to pull herself together and put the past behind her, peeling herself out of her overalls and pulling off her shirt she headed for the shower, hoping it would help refresh her a bit. It was a forlorn hope, she still felt the ache in the pit of her stomach when she emerged, pulling on a grey t-shirt with a pair of trousers. The bruising on her ribs was clear now for anyone to see and they still ached which meant reaching up to dry her hair pulled too hard so she wrapped the towel around her shoulders and let her hair drip. In pulling out her change of clothes, half the contents of her bag were spread across her bunk and she picked up a photo of her in dress uniform next to a young dark skinned SAS soldier in camouflage gear. She turned and pinned it to her memo board over her desk.

She was so lost in thought, staring at the photo she almost missed the light rap at the door. Wiping the stray tears from her eyes, she turned to her rack, tossed the towel from her shoulders and began scooping up the rest of her belongings and pushing them in her bag, "come in."

Hearing the door open she turned around, Dutchy entered and put a tray on her desk, "Swain said you never came for SCRAN, so I brought you some."

She was tempted to say she wasn't hungry, but she knew she had to eat. "Thank you, make sure you get some for yourself."

He didn't seem inclined to go right away and she was torn between kicking him out and dragging him in just so she could bawl her eyes out on his shoulder. Something she hadn't wanted to do over Niko for months, maybe even closer to a year.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

After a brief pause she shook her head, "no, I'm going to eat, report to NAVCOM and try and sleep for a while, can you make sure I'm given a call for Guts watch."

He took in the sight before him; her eyes were a little red and puffy and she looked exhausted. She needed more than 3 hours sleep, "it's alright, I've got it covered, Swain's on now, I'm taking over, then Charge. You look pretty done in take the chance to get a few extra hours, I'll call you at sunrise ready to go ashore." She was about to argue with him when he fixed her with a look, "if you don't agree, I'll get Swain to make it an order, you need to rest those ribs and yourself, or you'll be back here with exhaustion before the day's out."

"But-"

"Ma'am you've been the only one who hasn't taken a break since we sailed, you've earnt it. We're safely at anchor, nothing's going to happen tonight."

"Fine, but you come to me if anything at all happens." She conceded finally, realising that what he said actually made some sense.

"I promise. Are you sure you're alright? Do you need some painkillers or something?"he asked, she felt he was using it as a way to open another discussion.

"Why don't you just ask?" she asked ignoring his other questions, knowing he was at least a little bit curious about Niko, it had surprised her that he hadn't just come right out and asked, but then again she wasn't exactly encouraging the discussion.

"It's none of my business, but if you want to tell me I'll listen."

Neither spoke for a minute and he remained standing in the open door way. Finally she made a decision. "Not now, maybe some other time."

"Eat your food before it goes completely cold," he advised and stepped out and closed the door.

* * *

_I've got part 11 complete so I could post soon with the right encouragement..._


	11. Sleepless Night

_I've finally dragged the muse back kicking and screaming and the next chapter is finished too. Enjoy ... Sorry this is a chapter behind the posting on SP site, will bring it back in line in the next day or two and also I managed to jump a chapter title in the listing for part 10, this has now been corrected. _

_2010 Chazz - Thanks for the review, here's the next bit..._

._  
_

_**Part 11 – Sleepless Night**_

After getting something to eat, Dutchy retired to the cabin he shared with Swain, but sleep wasn't high on his agenda; it had been a long tiring day, but he daren't close his eyes in case he was haunted in sleep by the one thing keeping him awake. He opted for a shower and fresh clothes then headed to the ship's office. He was pleased to see no one else was there, which allowed him to do a little research, thankful their comms were working again and they had internet access. He started with reviewing what he could find about Elena, but there was surprisingly little, she had managed to keep her name out of the press pretty well, although he did find a reference to her ADFA graduation and a photo of her taken more recently, with an unnamed SAS soldier. Looking at the photo, it seemed familiar, then he realised that he had seen it before; it was the only thing adorning the walls of her cabin when he delivered her SCRAN. He looked at it again, the two of them looked happy. He wondered if this guy was the Niko he had heard the Police Chief mention, which also raised the question about what had happened because it was clear from her reaction that something bad had.

He opened his personal email and sat for a minute wondering if he should put it in writing, give her the chance to open up without having to do it face to face. Several times he started typing, but each time he stopped and erased it, unable to find the right words he finally deleted the message and closed the window, returning to the internet search and trying again, using her rank rather than just her name he gained more detail and discovered that she had also served in the gulf, but before he did; gaining medals for gallantry and other service awards, but nowhere was there a mention of Niko. He wasn't one to be put off easily, but when trying a search with just a single name found him over 100,000 hits, even with the addition of the SAS he realised he would have to wait for her to tell him herself.

Scrolling through his emails from home he heard the door open and quickly closed everything down he stood up.

"Sorry, just wanted to check my email," 2-dads greeted, sitting in the other chair.

"Go ahead, I'm done," Dutchy answered moving into the hallway and closing the door before the younger sailor could say anything else.

Returning to his cabin he stripped off his camouflage shirt and lay on his bunk, thinking over the day's events. Sleep didn't come easy, every time he closed his eyes he was assaulted by her image and he relived their conversations, in the end he gave up trying and pulling on his shirt he ventured out of his cabin again.

...

Elena meanwhile had forced herself to eat at least some of the food Dutchy had brought her before laying in her bunk to get some sleep, but that was easier said than done; every time she closed her eyes she was assaulted by images of Niko or Dutchy and right now neither option was a good one. Eventually she got up again and sat at her computer, spending a short while picking up her emails and answering a couple, but it wasn't enough to send her to sleep or to keep her mind occupied, so she decided to go and raid the secret stash of hot chocolate Bird had told her about earlier. Maybe the hot drink would help her relax, it always did when she was younger.

The ship was unusually quiet as she made her way to the galley carrying the tray of leftovers. She figured those not on duty might be sleeping early or taking the chance to stroll around the deck, even though it was dark. Turning into the galley she found Bird still clearing away.

"Hi Ma'am, I hope dinner was okay, Dutchy told me what to give you."

"It was fine Bird, I just wasn't very hungry, I thought you would be through here by now."

Bird took the tray from her and cleared it away adding the plate to others in the sink. "I'm almost done, it was so stuffy in here with the ovens on so I took a break and got some air before cleaning up. Can I get you something?"

"Actually I can't sleep I hoped some of your secret stash might help," Elena admitted leaning against the doorframe.

"No problem ma'am, I'll make some for both of us. Would you like me to bring it to your cabin?"

"No, I'm going to venture out on deck it's turned into a nice night, I need some air, you're right, it does get stuffy in here."

"I'll finish clearing up here and then do the drinks, about 20 minutes?" she queried.

"Sounds good," Elena replied and turned towards the stairs leading outside.

Bird was washing the final dishes when she heard footsteps along the passageway and looked up when they stopped nearby. "Can't you sleep either?" she asked as her visitor leaned against the open hatch.

"Who else we talking about here?"

"The CO, she was just here," Bird answered, sounding far too cheerful, "she's gone out to get some air while I make her a brew, can I get you something?"

"Nah, I've drunk enough coffee today to swim in, ... it's quiet down here, where is everyone?"

"A few are on deck, some turned in early and the watch crew are on the bridge with Swain I think," she answered. "Sure I can't get you something?"

"I think I'll get some air then try again, see if I can stop dreaming about the reef." Bird stared at him in shock and he smiled, "what? You don't think I get scared?" He pushed himself away from the hatch and walked around into the galley, "Bird, there are times when this job gets real scary and gives us sleepless nights, it was a close call today but we made it through and you did a good job with Swain on the XO, you shouldn't let it get to you, but if you need to talk to someone, you let one of us know."

"What about you Dutchy? Who do you talk to?" she asked.

"I've got more on my mind than just the reef, talking to anyone's not going to help that. Make sure you turn in soon, try and get some sleep before watch." He advised and walked out.

She guessed he was right, that it was more than the close call with the reef, clearly something wasn't right, she hadn't seen him this down in a while, but there again it had been a long and exhausting day.

...

Out on the deck he glanced around, it was fairly quiet, the last of the crew on deck were making their way back inside, with brief acknowledgements he let them pass and moved towards the back of the boat to where she was standing in the place he had been earlier. She was leaning over the railing staring towards the town which was shrouded in darkness, the waves lapping gently against the side of the ship. He leant on the railing at her side.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," he greeted.

"Looks like it's working just as well for you," she returned quietly as she glanced behind them to see who else was around.

"We're the only ones out here," he confirmed glancing at the bridge, pleased to see that no one was looking. "You can see the stars tonight," he commented tipping his head up to take in the clear night sky.

"Don't tell me you got your boy scout stargazer badge and you're going to take great delight in telling me what they all are," she teased, making him smile.

"No, was never a boy scout, but you can't be a sailor and not know a little about the stars."

"True, but I'm sure you're not out here to discuss the stars," she prompted, and he wondered how far to push the conversation he really wanted to have.

"No, I needed some air and Bird said you were out here so why not take the time and get to know my CO better?"

"We can't keep doing this," she almost whispered.

"Anyone asks we're discussing plans for the shore party tomorrow."

"We already discussed that."

"So you'll be able to explain the details, if they ask, which they won't, the boss and Commander Flynn did it all the time," he added as if trying to convince her and maybe even himself.

He knew it wasn't working when she answered. "This isn't me, I don't do reckless, last night has to be a one off, I won't risk your job or mine; we have to find a way to make this patrol work." She turned her head to look at him as he looked at her.

"Is that what's keeping you awake?"

"Partly," she conceded as they continued to lean side by side on the railings and she stared back out into the darkness.

He let the silence envelop them for a moment before taking a breath, "and Niko? I saw the photo on your wall, were you close?" He asked cautiously, still watching her for a reaction.

"Yeah," she sighed, tipping her head to look at the water lapping the boat below them.

"Where was he? The Gulf?"

"Afghanistan, he had been on an exchange tour with the British Army when they got called up for a special mission. He went with them," she stopped, not sure if she was quite ready for the rest of the conversation.

"And something happened," he prompted seriously following her gaze, leaving them in silence again for a moment. "It's a great photo, how d'you meet? The SAS guy and the sailor," he continued finally.

Elena laughed when she realised where he was leading her, she glanced up at him again, "do I detect a little jealousy Petty Officer Mulholland?"

"Just a little healthy curiosity, he obviously had an important role in your life, and if I'm to stand a chance of you taking my calls when we get home, I'd like to understand," he answered, returning the look briefly.

"You want to know if you've got competition?" She asked feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, it was like someone was watching them, she was tempted to turn around, but decided it could give away too much if she did. "I think we're being watched," she said eventually and he shifted at her side.

"You feel it too?" he asked pointing to the shore and waving his arm around as he straightened up.

"Yeah, now tell me did you really come out here for some air or were you following me?"

"A little of both," he admitted. "I didn't realise you knew the Police Chief here," he continued.

"Ken and Niko were at college together, I actually never met him before, he recognised my name and I asked if I knew him."

He resisted the temptation to reach out and touch her, but he lowered his voice a little to ensure only she heard, "Elena, you don't have to tell me, but what happened in Afghanistan?"

She stared out across the dark town for a moment, then lowered her head and stared at the water below them before answering "I want to tell you, but right now wouldn't be a good idea. Please don't ask again." She pushed herself off the rails and began to walk away.

Dutchy turned after her. "Elena, any time you change your mind you know where I'll be." She paused for a few seconds then continued inside the ship. Dutchy glanced up to the bridge, there was no-one there, but he was sure someone had been looking out.

...

Dutchy arrived on the bridge to take over the watch at midnight. Only Swain and 2-dads were present. Swain turned to make the report and gave the buffer a quizzical look; he shook his head in reply.

"Nice moves Dutchy you and the CO having a cosy chat on deck earlier," 2-dads greeted cheerily.

"2-dads, go, now," instructed Swain, firmly but calmly, his gaze held on Dutchy. "You're getting a wake up call in 4 hours, get some sleep."

For once the young sailor seemed to sense something brewing and disappeared quickly. Swain checked the door was closed and he had actually gone before turning back to Dutchy. "You look like hell mate, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," he answered dropping into the command chair. "Anything to report?"

"Anything you want to talk about? Is there a problem between you and the boss?"

"What?" Dutchy exclaimed, "no, how could there be?" he decided not to qualify it further.

"It's just that- I don't know, you look like you've not slept and the two of you are a bit like you're treading on eggshells around each other," Swain commented carefully, not wanting to stir up trouble, but wanting to make sure that things were alright.

"I haven't slept, the storm, the X, watching the CO's back, ... something that Police Chief said to her seemed to upset her, she didn't want to discuss it, it's like it's personal."

"You can't take it all on yourself, you need to rest too."

"Plenty of time for that when I'm dead," Dutchy tried to joke.

"Yeah, well be careful what you wish for, it was a pretty close thing today. CO did a good job of things though don't you think?" Swain continued.

"Yeah, she seems okay," Dutchy answered off handedly. "Anything to report before you hit the sack?" he asked after a moment in silence.

"No, everyone's in, anchor's stable, we've signed off with Darwin until 0400, they're anchored 5 miles out for the night. I think you've got a quiet night," Swain reported and turned to the steps as the door opened and Spider appeared. "Spider, no pranks tonight, Dutchy ship's all yours," he added and disappeared to get some sleep.

"Seaman Webb, Spider right?" Dutchy greeted, "I hear you're an old hand on this ship."

"Something like that sir," he answered, not immediately clear who he was talking to.

"Don't need to sir me, Dutchy's fine."

"Yes, right, sorry, thought you- never mind," Spider answered while peering at the insignia on Dutchy's uniform.

"Take a seat, Swain said it should be a quiet night."

...

As dawn rose over the sea to the east the crew began bustling around, ready for a full day ashore helping with salvage and reconstruction. For the first hour the RHIBs ferried several loads of supplies under the instructions of Dutchy and Charge, once some of the gear had been transferred to shore and unloaded one of the RHIBs returned with a load of personnel to help move things around town.

By now it was almost 6 am and the sun was beginning to shine brightly. Swain and Bird came ashore with the RHIB and headed towards the school house to check on those with minor injuries before planning to go to the clinic.

After seeing the supplies away from the ship Charge headed to the engines to run tests and over haul them.

Spider was on deck when a RHIB approached and two men boarded. He recognised them as colleagues from HMAS Darwin.

"Hey Spider! How's being back on Hammersley?" one asked.

"Buffer, good, what are you doing here?"

"Where's the CO?" he asked in reply.

"I think she's in her cabin finishing reports from yesterday. Sir," Spider snapped to attention on seeing his own CO.

"Like to show me the way?" Tug Wilson asked.

"Yes sir, Buffer?"

"Not me, I'm betting Charge is in the engine room, I'll go say hello."

...

Thirty minutes later Elena escorted the CO of Darwin back to their RHIB, where Buffer and Spider were waiting.

"Spider, I thought you were supposed to be helping Charge." Elena commented, earning an uncomfortable look from the young sailor.

"Ah, yes ma'am, just going," Spider answered quickly, standing up straighter.

The two CO's watched as he saluted and walked away. "He's still young, but he's a good kid," Wilson commented. "Well it's been good to meet you Elena, it looks like you've got everything under control here, NAVCOM can be reassured Hammersley is in good hands."

"Thank you and I'll tell Charge to expect your engineer to come over and compare notes. Hopefully any repairs needed can be done here and we won't need to head back to port."

"You know where we are if you need anything today. Just make sure you take your Swain's advice and get those ribs checked."

"I will, I'm heading over to the clinic in about an hour," Elena confirmed as Commander Wilson made his way towards the steps to the RHIB with Buffer a couple of steps ahead. "Thanks for checking up on us," Elena answered and they exchanged salutes before he headed down the steps.

"Safe anchor," he added before departing back to his own ship.

* * *

_While I'm on a roll I'm going to try and write chapter 13, so you may be given another update over the weekend if I'm successful._


	12. New Orders

_As this posting is several chapters behind the SP site, I'm going to post several chapters in quick succession to catch you up ...  
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_**Part 12 - New orders**_

Dutchy had been ashore nearly all day organising things and watching over the work parties, so it was no surprise that he didn't see much of Elena. She had been ashore briefly in the morning to have her ribs checked and meet with local officials before returning to the ship to continue with paperwork. He was on the dockside overseeing the latest supplies being unloaded when she arrived in the second RHIB. He was able to watch her as she stepped ashore and walk part way up the jetty towards him. She looked a little stiff and still seemed to be protecting her ribs, but at least she looked more refreshed than when they had spoken on the boat deck the night before.

As she approached him and caught his eye, he knew she'd spotted him watching her, because she dropped her hand and walked towards him, carefully observing who was nearby. "See something Petty Officer Mulholland?"

"Just checking the boss is okay," he answered, also looking around and noting that the police chief was hovering at the end of the jetty. He turned back to her, "are you?"

"Just fine, the X-rays confirm I'm just badly bruised. How are you doing? Looks like you've had everyone pitching in," she commented now taking time to look at members of the crew who were busy going about their tasks a short way off.

"It's going to be dark soon and we'll not be able to do any more, but we've made good progress, I think another half day here should finish the tasks," he informed her. "Have NAVCOM tasked us with anything else?"

"I'll be speaking to them later, but strictly speaking we should be going home, the XO is a ship stopper."

"It wouldn't be the first time Hammersley has sailed without a one."

"An XO?" she asked quietly, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

He offered her a knowing look, "a ship stopper."

"So I understand, I believe they did it at least twice with one of your predecessors and again twice with you in the last 6 months." His eyes met hers in surprise, "you think I wouldn't have checked up on my sailors? I'm not going to comment, except to say it's something I don't wish to make a habit of."

"Me neither," he mumbled. "How much do-"

"I know what I need to know, let's leave it at that shall we?" She didn't want him going into details about anything in public, if he wanted to tell her some other time when they were off the ship that was a different matter; she knew she was probably one of a long line of women in his life. She was also under no illusion that after the initial sparks fizzled out they would go their own ways. Thinking over the ship stopper situation, she'd seen the official report on his file, she knew that he'd been injured the first time and nearly killed the second; any discussion about the details had to wait. She looked around again, what couldn't wait any longer was the man leaning against the police car at the end of the jetty and she turned back to Dutchy, "I'm meeting the Police Chief, then returning to the ship, I'll take first watch give you, Swain and Charge some time off," she told him and began to move away.

He turned and looked as the Police Chief pushed himself away from his vehicle and stood up straight to greet Elena, "Ma'am, do you need me to come with you?"

She turned back, "no Dutchy it's fine, if we're likely to sail tomorrow, there's something I need to do, I'll be ready to go back in an hour."

"Yes, Ma'am." He wasn't happy about her going off on her own, he should have been at her side if they were discussing the relief effort, but the way the cop greeted her it was clear it wasn't an official meeting. He did the only thing he could and began piling up the rest of the boxes that were at his feet.

...

It was a few minutes before 2000 hours when she climbed the stairs to the bridge and took the watch report from Charge.

"Evening Charge, how are our engines?" she greeted.

"Better now Ma'am, be sure and thank Darwin for lending us Buffer and their engineer to fix them, they'll hold out back to Cairns nicely if we don't ask for too much juice."

"Will they get us anywhere else? I've just had new orders through from NAVCOM, when we're done here tomorrow we're to sail for Karumba to help out up there and deliver supplies."

"Karumba? We were there last year, got a nasty case of cattle rustlers."

"Well this time it's just delivering supplies, if the engines will make it."

"There was a blockage in the coolant intake pump, but the guys at base will need to overhaul them when we get back just to be sure, we've rigged a temporary filter to stop it happening again, but it won't last forever," Charge replied, making way at the top of the stairs for 2-dads to enter.

"Understood, we'll review the situation tomorrow morning and consult with NAVCOM before making a final decision on which direction we go, but if we can coax them I think we'll be moving on." Elena responded, their orders had been quite explicit, to go where they were needed in the wake of the storm. She just wasn't prepared to jeopardise the safety of ship and crew if there was any indication that they could lose engine power again. "Thanks Charge, go chill out and get some rest."

He nodded in acknowledgement and headed down the stairs. 2-dads moved to the marine link console and sat in the chair while Elena checked over the radar and EOD.

"Ma'am, can I ask you a question?" 2-dads asked after a moment.

"Go ahead," she answered turning to look at him.

"How did you get this job? I mean, according to word at the docks you only arrived in town the day before we sailed, I thought they would have put Commander Flynn back on board, after all he knows us and the ship."

"My understanding 2-dads is that it was more important for Commander Flynn to use his skills at NAVCOM in co-ordinating the relief effort, it doesn't mean he didn't want to. As for me, I was the only available option, I'm due a shore posting at NAVCOM, but I was also due some leave, so I got recalled."

"That's a bit harsh isn't it? You just arrive in town and get posted."

"It's how it happens sometimes. Wouldn't be the first time." Elena looked over at 2-dads, she suspected he had something else on his mind, but she wasn't going to open the door for him, but if he decided to ask she might consider answering. He was quiet for a moment, so she sat down in the Captain's chair and leant back in the seat.

…..

The next morning Mike walked into Maxine's office, "Max, you got a minute? I need to talk to you about Hammersley." She nodded and he closed the door, not wanting anyone to hear what may come out of the conversation he intended on having.

"I figured sooner or later you'd be here," she answered, putting down the papers she was working on and looking at him as he took a seat opposite her.

"Maxine you can't send Hammersley anywhere, they should be brought back for a full overhaul and repairs after what happened in the storm."

"I appreciate what you're saying Mike, but we don't have that luxury, we need everyone out helping the relief effort, the engineer on Darwin says if they take it easy the temporary fix could last for months."

"And if it doesn't? What if there's another storm? Are you prepared to risk the lives of the crew and the ship?"

"I know it sounds harsh, but we have no option."

"Are you sending them a new XO?" Mike continued, taking a slightly different approach.

"No, you said yourself Petty Officer Mulholland was capable of stepping up, it'll be good experience for him if he wants to rise in the ranks."

"But the XO's a ship stopper," Mike responded, his tone conveying the surprise at the action. Sure there had been times when they'd sailed without a buffer, only to pick them up along the way, but he could never remember sailing without an XO.

"And I've told them to sail without one, there's no one available Mike, you know that; we were fortunate that Lt-Cdr Larkin was in town and able to take command or our relief assistance would have been severely hampered."

"But to have them out there under powered and undermanned doesn't make sense," he protested.

"They've got a full complement of bodies; I assigned Seaman Webb to them from Darwin for the duration. He's already on board and it's a done deal. Darwin won't notice the absence." She fixed him with a firm look and he was beginning to realise he was flogging a dead horse, the decision had been made.

"Fine, I just hope Charge can keep those engines working," he commented as he glanced out to the command centre. "Is there any news on the XO?"

"He was airlifted from Darwin yesterday and taken straight to surgery to pin his ankle. Hammersley's Swain apparently did a first rate job in immobilizing him to prevent further damage. He's going to be out for about 6 weeks and another 6 on light duties, which will add to your workload, you need to find another Lieutenant to cover for 3 months from the next rotation."

"And if there in such short supply how am I going to do that?"

"Oh I don't know, you'll probably discuss it with Lt-Cdr McGregor and come up with something," she answered abruptly. "You could also try asking Canberra if they can reassign someone."

Mike was about to retort with some comment when there was a knock at the door stopping the conversation going further. Maxine waved the young officer in.

"Sorry Ma'am, everyone's assembled for the briefing."

"I'll be right there," she answered standing up and collecting a few files, "Under normal circumstances I'd be agreeing with you on everything Mike, but a state of emergency has been declared across the northern point down as far as Lockhart River. The politicians in Canberra want everything thrown out there to help, the orders come from the top, if it can move, it supports the relief effort."

Mike stood to walk out with her, but she rushed off before he could say anything else.

…

Nikki opened the door to the classroom to find Kate packing up after the latest session. "There you are, I thought we were meeting half hour ago. I'm ready to head into town and paint it red after maxing out our credit cards at that new little boutique, where you can buy something nice and barely there to entice that man of yours," Nikki greeted lightly.

Kate looked up and smiled as she pushed the last folder into her bag, "sorry, things got a little heated, I never remember my sessions on border patrol being open for so much debate, not when combined with Maritime Law and what do you mean buy something nice and barely there?"

Nikki laughed, ignoring the comment about the shopping trip, "so they're taking a leaf out of the Mike Flynn training manual then? Know the theory but do things their own way?"

"Something like that," Kate answered picking up her bag and putting her cap on. "Have we got time for me to drop this stuff and change?"

"We've got most of the afternoon and all night, with no commitments and I'm up for hitting the town," Nikki answered. "You can feed me all the gossip from NAVCOM and Hammersley."

Kate smiled, "I talked to Mike earlier, Spider's back on Hammersley, got roped in as an extra pair of hands when my XO broke his ankle. " They left the classroom and Kate locked up before they walked through the complex towards the officers accommodation where Kate was staying.

"That should be fun, him and 2-dads together again, does that temporary CO know what's going to hit her?" Nikki joked, it had been a long time since she had spoken to anyone apart from Kate and even then all they seemed to have time to do was exchange brief emails. Now she was feeling a little left out and for a few seconds wondered what it would be like meeting up with the crew, it didn't last because the next thought was that it would never feel right, not without ET there.

"Somehow I don't think they'll get away with much, Dutchy's keeping a close eye on 2-dads lately after he got Mike's godson in trouble a while back, not to mention our ex-gap girl," Kate answered lightly.

"Do you ever hear from Buffer?" Nikki asked as they entered the housing block, wondering if he'd ever found his perfect woman.

"Sometimes, Mike saw him a few days ago, he's with Spider on HMAS Darwin now, based in Melbourne, they had a layover on their way back from a goodwill visit, then got assigned as part of the relief effort. So while I was flying down here, they were all at the pub catching up." Nikki thought she sounded disappointed.

"Do you miss the old crew?" asked Nikki, trying to gauge what the vibe on the ship was like now.

"Sometimes, even Bomber's left the Navy, she's stayed in Cairns, and has been dating 2-dads on and off for the last 6 months."

"Now that's a pairing I wouldn't have seen," Nikki laughed, "I always thought Bomber and RO might have-"

"RO?" Kate exclaimed, "No way!"

"That sounds like there's a story there," Nikki encouraged and Kate was pleased to see the genuine smile that crossed her face.

...

"So we're not going home?" 2-dads asked after Elena finished briefing everyone later that evening on the Hammersley's boat deck.

"2-dads, didn't you listen to what the Boss just said?" snapped Dutchy crossing his arms and glaring at the younger sailor as Elena faced the crew.

"No, I'm sorry, we're going to continue to support the relief effort." She repeated calmly, making sure the message got across, before turning to their engineer. "Charge I want twice daily bulletins on our engine situation and if there is any sign of a problem I want to hear right away."

"Yes ma'am," he acknowledged.

Elena turned to her helmsman next, "Swain take the bridge, set course for Karumba and let me know when we expect to arrive. The rest of you back to your duties."

Slowly everyone moved away from the deck except Dutchy and Elena, he still stood with his arms folded as he watched Spider and 2-dads go inside, apparently conspiring over something.

"Don't you think you were a little hard on 2-dads?" she asked turning to face her 2IC.

"You'd just finished telling them our orders and he opens his mouth and spews a stupid question like that. Sometimes I just wonder where his head's at," Dutchy grumbled. "We'd all like to be going home."

"And not just because you were crash sailed I'm assuming," she stated turning towards the door, so he never saw the look on her face, but the slight lilt in her voice told him she knew exactly what he was thinking.

He leant casually against the storage container next to them, his arms still folded, "can I ask you something?" She turned around again and nodded, "the Police Chief-?" he paused, not quite sure what he wanted to ask.

"I thought we agreed not to discuss it," she answered quietly, tears forming in her eyes.

"You agreed. Would it be so bad to share it, have someone to talk things through with?" he prompted gently.

"I've done the counselling bit, I've accepted what happened, it doesn't mean that I have to like it, or that the wounds heal instantly. I asked you to drop the subject, I won't ask again," he detected an element of anger in her tone, and if he'd have thought about things clearly he would have let it pass, instead he had to challenge her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked harshly, glaring at her.

"The subject is closed, it's none of your business," she snapped in return.

"So the fact that whatever happened back in town has upset you isn't my business?"

"No, it's personal and in no way affects how I do my job, therefore none of your business."

He loosed his arms and rested his hand on one of the storage containers next to them and edged a little closer to her. "Elena, I care about you, I just want you to-"

"Stop!" she hissed, "it was one night, a mistake and one I'm not going to make again." She stepped back from him and he saw the fiery determination in her eyes, she wasn't going to say anything to him. Not now he'd pushed so hard. "We've got work to do," she muttered, then turned and walked away.

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_I hope you don't hate me now ... Please review, and let me know ...  
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	13. Tension

_One more chapter after this and then you're caught up ... There's a treat at the end for MK fans ...  
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_**Part 13 - Tension**_

For most of the next week Dutchy and Elena barely spoke unless it was about ship's business and on more than one occasion things had almost escalated into a shouting match when they disagreed over some procedure or another. Well, rather he had vented, she had taken on an air of bulletproof professionalism, keeping ice cool under pressure and his glares. She'd masked her anger at him so well that everyone was thinking he was the one with the problem, but that didn't mean that everyone hadn't noticed the tension that was developing on board.

Swain and Dutchy entered the ship's office to find Elena typing rapidly on her computer. Seeing the two of them she closed the lid, picked up the laptop and the files and stood up.

"Sorry ma'am, we didn't know you were in here," Swain greeted.

"It's okay Swain, I can finish the rest in my cabin," she answered easily, her eyes briefly flicking to Dutchy as he passed her and sat down. "I'm expecting a call from NAVCOM anyway," she added.

As she pulled the door open, Swain spoke up again. "Ma'am, we're going to be passing Stargazer Island soon, I was wondering if we could spare a few hours to let the crew ashore for a little R&R, if we're out here much longer without a break we'll see tempers start to run high."

"I agree, also Coast Watch need us stationary for a supply drop, we've got another stop to make on our way back, to the doctor on Mission Island, Dutchy, can you organise a beach barbecue? Swain, I'll leave you to arrange the pickup from Coast Watch. All the officers can go ashore, I've got paperwork to do, I'll remain on board."

With a confirmed agreement from Swain she left the room and he turned to Dutchy who was sat semi slumped at the table. "You know those eggshells? I think you're past that, it's becoming more obvious you've got a problem with her, you've been in a bad mood for days and sooner or later she's going to chew you out there's too much tension around here to ignore."

"Yeah well I didn't ask for this job remember, thanks to you and Charge I got stuck with it," he grumbled, then pushed himself up from the seat and walked over to the door. The tension in room was almost tangible.

"With valid reasons mate, you're still the right choice," Swain assured him. Dutchy opened the door, "where are you going?"

"To organise a barbecue and a watch rota." Dutchy walked out leaving Swain standing in the middle of the room as the door closed behind him.

"Yeah, and make sure you send yourself ashore for a few hours too," he muttered.

...

Elena was alone on the bridge while Bird had gone to get them some drinks; she held the binoculars up to her eyes and scanned the area around the crew who were enjoying themselves on the beach. Many of them had just crashed after a vigorous game of their own version of rugby. A few had opted to go swimming, so she looked around again, spotting who was in the water, then she scanned the area around them, eventually checking out the wider area. Satisfied that all was well she turned the binoculars back to the beach and honed in on Dutchy, she was pleased to see him smiling for the first time in days. In fact it was the first time she had seen it since they had argued on the boat deck. She couldn't resist letting her eyes rest on him for a few moments longer, wondering if there was any chance at fixing their working relationship before anyone asked questions, she felt it wasn't going to be long before someone like Swain picked up on the icy channel separating them. Seeing him standing on the beach wearing a pair of print swim shorts and a pair of dark glasses she couldn't help but remember what had happened the night they met.

She continued to watch him as he stood with his back to her talking to Charge, when suddenly he turned and looked up at her. Of course he couldn't see her she was too far away, but she still felt like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She lowered the binoculars quickly and stood up, moving swiftly to check for signals on the radar and EOD.

Footsteps on the stairs drew her attention and Elena turned to see Bird appear with a tray containing a pitcher of juice and two glasses. "How's it going over there have they all flaked out yet?" the young seaman asked, glancing out the window.

"I'm guessing there's a routine to a beach barbecue then," Elena responded lightly, lifting the binoculars to her eyes again and checking over the group, feeling more like a mother hen watching her flock than a ship's captain.

"Always the same, first the footy or volleyball or some other game of the moment, then about half the crew just chills while the other half goes swimming, or messing about in the water, then they all gather on the beach for the food. Charge and Swain usually run the barbecue, and you can guarantee 2-dads and Dutchy are somewhere in the water." Bird answered lifting a pair of binoculars to her eyes.

Elena laughed as she scanned the group again with her own set, "pretty good Bird, I'd say you're right on all counts." Her focus once again on Dutchy as he powered his way through the water away from the beach. After several strokes he stopped and stood up, although he seemed far out the water only came to his chest, which probably indicated why this was a favoured spot for a little R&R. It was in the sheltered side of the island and was well protected from the unpredictable currents in the area, providing the perfect beach and swimming zone, framed by the palm trees separating the beach from the island's interior.

...

As he stood and looked back at the beach Dutchy got that prickly sensation at the back of his neck again, the one that said he was being watched. He knew that the girls were on watch and that they would be on the bridge of the ship keeping an eye on the beach and on the waters around them. But there'd been a couple of times when he imagined that she was standing up there just watching him and now was one of those moments. It was a crazy idea really, after all she'd made it quite clear that day they'd argued that she'd thought the whole thing was a mistake, he wasn't so sure, but he wasn't about to do anything about it.

With his eyes on the beach he dived into the water again and headed back to shore, swimming until it got too shallow, when he stood up and walked up the beach. Collecting his gear he moved to a deserted spot at the edge of the group, drawing his sunglasses over his eyes as he sat down and tried to read. Unfortunately God was not on his side as he was soon joined by 2-dads.

"You think they're up there with the binoculars watching us?" he asked, his face furrowed into a frown as he squinted against the bright sun.

"It's their job to keep watch, you know that," Dutchy replied lazily as he lay back and held his book up to read.

"Yeah but I mean do you think they're like checking us out?" 2-dads persisted.

"They're totally checking us out," a new voice seemed to agree and Spider and Buck dropped on to the sand nearby. "That Bird chick is totally into Buck here," Spider announced, slapping Buck's shoulder with the back of his hand to reinforce the comment.

"Yeah, I've been saying that for months," confirmed 2-dads with a grin as he high-fived Spider, at least Buck didn't seem to share their view as he blushed and thankfully the others were all too preoccupied to notice.

"Guys, enough, you forgotten the fraternisation rules?" Dutchy sighed wondering if he could send them away to get some peace and quiet.

"Yeah but it's more fun when you break them," 2-dads answered cheekily. "You mean you wouldn't want a fling with the CO if you got the chance?"

Dutchy laughed and turned his head, a slight frown on his face. "2-dads, do you want to be up before a Captain's table on charges?"

"Come-on Dutchy, you telling me you don't fancy her?" the sailor pressed, Buck looked a little uncomfortable and Spider sat grinning at the exchange. "She's totally your type. Don't you go for the blonde leggy types?"

"My taste in women is between me and them, and I'm certainly not discussing the boss with you, just like I won't discuss Lt-Cdr McGregor. Have some respect." He answered forcefully as he pushed himself up and picking up his stuff began to walk away.

"Come on Dutchy, it was just a bit of fun," 2-dads called after him. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the ship, I've got some paperwork to finish before my watch."

2-dads sat with the others his mouth open in surprise as he watched Dutchy march away.

"Dude that was awesome," choked Spider when Dutchy had reached the opposite end of the beach, "he is so into her."

"The sad thing is though young Spider, that he won't do anything about it. He's like the X was, a total professional on the ship. Of course there was that one exception, but that nearly got him killed, I don't think he's looked at a woman the same way since, thinks they're all out to get him."

"Seriously?" asked Spider.

"Oh Yeah, our Dutchy is on the wagon and feeling very frustrated for it too I'd say." 2-dads linked his hands behind his head and lay down on the sand staring into the sky.

...

Once they were on the move again later that night Elena was supposed to be working in her cabin, but all she could think about was the images of the ships buffer standing on the beach earlier. She sighed and looked up at the photo she had pinned to the board over her desk the first night on board.

"Yeah, I know I should tell him, but I can't, not yet," she whispered to the man in the photo.

A knock on her door made her return focus to what was going on, flipping the folder closed, she stood up to make space for the door to open in the tiny cabin, "come in."

Charge opened the door and stood in the opening, "Ma'am, sorry to bother you but I wondered if I might have a word."

"What's up Charge? Are the engines holding up?"

"Engines seem to be doing fine Ma'am providing we don't stress them too much. It's kind of a delicate matter, can I speak frankly?"

Elena nodded, wondering what problem he was going to raise. "It's Dutchy, something's not right, 2-dads has been on his case about a woman he met in the bar the night before we sailed and the more the young idiot taunts him, the worse things have got. Dutchy came back early for watch, that's unheard of, normally he won't pass up a beach barbecue, he claimed he had paperwork to finish."

"Maybe he did," Elena commented, although she knew very well that he had completed it all before going ashore.

"2-dads has started some pretty wild rumours in the past, and nearly got several people into hot water; his trouble is he doesn't think things through and realise the consequences before he opens his mouth," Charge continued.

"And you think Dutchy is affected by this? He doesn't strike me as the sort to take things so seriously," Elena prodded, knowing that 2-dads gossiping wasn't the only reason.

"Normally I'd say no, but a couple of months back he was nearly killed by a woman he was having an affair with, the woman in the bar last week, was the first time he'd ... you get what I'm saying?" Charge offered nervously.

"Did anyone actually see him with this woman? Maybe nothing happened" Elena couldn't resist asking, wondering how close they were to discovering her identity.

"Whether it did or it didn't he's not saying; all anyone knows is that she's tallish and blonde, Swain got the best view of her, but that was only from behind."

"Then I think the subject is best left alone, I'll speak to Dutchy and 2-dads and see if we can stop this before things escalate out of control."

"I don't want to stir up trouble; I just thought you should know what's going around the junior sailors."

"Thank you." Charge walked away leaving her cabin door open.

Elena stood staring at the empty space, wondering how to approach the conversations she needed to have. It was clear the wall between her and Dutchy was beginning to cause a problem and they needed to resolve a few things. 2-dads was a whole other matter, she had no idea how to handle that particular conversation. RO appeared in her doorway a few sheets of paper in his hand.

"Ma'am, weather report just in from NAVCOM and the shipping forecast for the Arafura Sea, looks like all is calm. We've also been given leave to sail home when we've finished the supply drop on Mission Island." He thrust the sheets of paper towards her and she took them, glancing over them she looked up to see him still standing there.

"Was there something else Robert?"

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, "yes, yes there is, I know Charge came to see you and frankly I'm not sure what he might have said, but there's talk among the junior sailors, nothing I can repeat of course, but I think it has something to do with Dutchy's attitude lately. He's been even harder on 2-dads than usual, not that I don't agree with it, I think he needs firm handling. Lt-Cdr McGregor and Commander Flynn had cause to have words with him a while back for spreading malicious gossip."

"And you think he's doing it again?" Elena coaxed, sensing that she may not get much more out of the Communications Officer.

"It's 2-dads, I wouldn't put anything past him; he doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes."

"People don't always," Elena commented.

"I do," RO answered seriously and she had to bite back the laugh which formed at the earnest look on his face.

"Right," she answered uneasily. Of the crew RO was the one she still didn't have an ounce of understanding of. He was quirky, _technically sound but socially impossible_, the XO's assessment seemed spot on. "Thank you Robert," she said after a moment, "I'll deal with it."

After RO left she thought for a moment longer, the conversation with Dutchy couldn't wait any longer, the only issue was that if it turned into a full on shouting match whatever was said would be all over the ship in minutes.

They couldn't escape the fact that nowhere on the ship was completely private.

...

Mike arrived at the airport in time to see the plane from Canberra land. He was glad that things had settled down after the storms of the previous week. While a state of emergency was still in place and all ships at their disposal were at sea, a calmer vibe had settled over NAVCOM. The smaller patrol boats were beginning to finish their immediate tasks and were either being sent more supplies via the Coast Watch plane drops or were just lending manpower to clean up operations. Maxine had confirmed earlier that after their next stop at Mission Island, Hammersley would be allowed to return home for repairs to the engines. From their current location and still on reduced power it would take them around 4/5 days to get back and that was without any further incident.

News had been filtering into NAVCOM that the calmer seas in the Arafura Sea had brought an increase in FFVs and the odd SIEV, so ships were tasked as well to look out for these type of illegal vessels and take appropriate action. As he stood and pondered the events of the last 9 days the plane made its way to the arrival gate.

He had debated about arriving in his uniform, which afforded him certain privileges, but had decided to go for the casual look; after all he was there to meet his girlfriend not a naval officer. Of course that meant he had to wait in the arrivals hall with everyone else. The airport didn't see a huge amount of traffic compared to many, but it still saw over 3 million passengers pass through its doors every year, which on average was around 8,000 a day as he mulled over the information being displayed over his head he was thankful that he'd arrived early and found himself a spot to wait right near the end of the roped walkway. That way there would be no chance of missing her, after all she would be looking for a navy driver as he'd told her he had a meeting that couldn't be rescheduled. He was hoping she'd enjoy the surprise; he looked down at the paper in his hand and the crossword he was doing to pass the time, adding a couple of answers to the grid he then paused and looked up. The first passengers were beginning to come through the doors, so he slipped his pen into his shirt pocket and folded the paper.

...

Kate was relieved that the flight had been quiet, so there was little delay in collecting her case and being able to leave. She was looking forward to getting home and catching up on all the details of what had been going on with Hammersley in the last week. She knew the ship and crew were still at sea, but she hoped it wouldn't be long before they could return. She'd actually missed the crew more than she expected.

She stepped through the sliding door and began to check the various name cards being held aloft as well as for someone in uniform. She found neither and was slightly disappointed that her driver wasn't already waiting for her. As she was so focused on her objective she zoned out on all the civilians around clamouring to greet friends and loved ones, so she was completely stunned when she joined the throng of people loitering around the rope barrier and found herself swept into a pair of strong arms.

After her first gasp of surprise, her lips turned upwards and the lights danced in her eyes as she looked up at her captor, to find her smile reflected on his face. "Welcome home," he uttered before seizing her lips with his.

Once he released her, she still had her arm around his body while retaining a firm hold on her bags with the other. "I thought you couldn't come," she said, her stomach flipping at the surprise still coursing through her body.

"I wanted to surprise you," he muttered, reaching out to take her case as they turned to leave the airport. "I don't have to be back at NAVCOM until tomorrow morning, which incidentally is where you will be until Hammersley gets back."

They began catching up as they headed for his car.

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_Please leave a comment on your way out, they certainly help to feed the muse ..._

_SeaKat_


	14. A Truce

_29 May - Just to let you know chapters 12, 13 & 14 have all been posted today._

_I hope I haven't built up this conversation too much and leave you all disappointed ..._

_**Part 14 - A Truce**_

Elena guessed where she might find her 2IC, it had become a common event for him to spend some time on the boat deck during the evenings when he wasn't on watch and usually she opted to keep away, but with tension running high on the ship and Charge and RO both telling her what else was going on, tonight it seemed her best chance to speak to him. Calling him to her cabin was not a smart move, too easy for the bridge crew to hear if they did raise their voices. The ships office was too closely located to the mess halls and where the off duty guys hung out and going anywhere near the crew quarters was just asking for trouble.

She had figured out his routine and waited until she was sure he was already out there before she pushed open the door and stepped out. He must have heard her because he turned to look as she pushed the door closed and latched it.

As she walked towards him he turned his head away and leant on the railing, she knew he was trying to ignore her.

...

On the bridge Spider was sitting at the marine link console and flicking through the ship's cameras when he noticed the figures on the boat deck. He watched for a moment to see what would happen as 2-dads words from earlier echoed in his ears. He watched as she walked across the deck and stood near him at the rails, still observing a respectable distance.

Looking up Spider saw 2-dads arrive on the bridge and quickly beckoned him over, then pointed at the screens, neither exchanged a word, but if anyone had looked at their faces they could tell they were up to something.

...

"We can't go on the way we have been," she sighed, making a point not to look at him. "We should talk."

"There's nothing to say, you made it quite clear that it was a mistake, which you weren't going to make again. So Ma'am if that's all you've got to say I've got work to do," he hissed, pushing himself away from the rails and taking a few steps towards the door.

"Petty Officer Mulholland, wait," the official tone made him stop; he slowly turned around to face her. Aware that she now had his attention and he wasn't immediately going to walk away she launched into her reason for being there. "We could have bigger problems if we keep on like this and 2-dads keeps speculating or matchmaking or whatever the hell he thinks he's doing," she exclaimed, her eyes focused on his face as he tried to avoid looking at her. "I've had Charge and RO tell me about stories that are circulating around the junior sailors."

"The idiot, he never learns," Dutchy grumbled finally meeting her eye line. "I'll skin the little bastard alive," he cursed.

...

2-dads and Spider were nudging each other as they watched the 2 figures, unaware that they were beginning to attract attention.

"What are you two sniggering at in that corner?" asked RO picking up a pair of headphones from his console, "I can barely hear myself think," he complained jamming the object on his head.

While RO had tuned out, Swain now took an interest and turned to look at the two in the corner. Suspecting they were conspiring for something he stood up. "Spider, take the helm," he instructed. For a moment the young sailor never moved. "Spider!" it was rare Swain raised his voice so this got the sailors attention and slowly Spider stood up and moved across the bridge, taking the empty seat at the helm, a sly grin still crossing his face.

Swain waited a few seconds then moved towards 2-dads so he could see what had taken their interest on the monitor. He was surprised to see Dutchy and the CO together and apparently talking after the last week. "Turn it off," he instructed 2-dads, who looked up at him.

"But Swain, we've got a great opportunity to see what they're gonna do, after all if they break the rules it's evidence and we would all have seen it," 2-dads persisted.

"Turn it off!" Swain instructed forcefully as he took in the body language between the CO and Dutchy, he was relieved that she was finally talking to him; hopefully he would be in a better mood afterwards. He knew they'd had a few disagreements over certain decisions the last few days, and he knew as the captain she wouldn't be able to ignore the attitude he'd developed. He saw nothing on the monitor to indicate there was anything happening that would cause a problem, so he was comfortable with the decision to leave them to it. After a few more seconds 2-dads reached over and turned off the monitor. "Take the Radar," the senior sailor instructed; that way there would be no possibility of any more spying and he could keep an eye on the two young scoundrels.

...

Back on the boat deck Elena looked at Dutchy, "we need to deal with this and fast ... I can't deal with what happened before we sailed until after we get back home." She glanced around the deck briefly then turned her attention back to him, if they didn't resolve some of their own issues there was going to be all hell break loose on the ship, "so can we call a truce or whatever and deal with what is going on under our noses now?"

Dutchy looked at her for a moment, it was the first time he had seen her angry, but he knew the younger sailor better, "2-dads is all talk, he's done it before ... I'll deal with it."

They needed to work from the same page and he didn't seem to be getting the point, her self-control was slipping and she was furious. "What? You're going to haul him off into some corner and threaten him? You seriously think that will work?" She snapped, believing too much, at that moment, in the reports she'd read rather than what she had ascertained for herself.

"I don't know!" he growled at her. "You got a better plan?"

She sighed heavily, she didn't want to but she felt it was warranted under the circumstances. She held his look and answered slowly, "a Captain's Table."

Dutchy shot her a startled look, "you're serious?"

"Why not? He's got a history of rumour mongering, I've heard him myself and it's clear that whatever he's been saying to you is partly to blame for the attitude the last week."

"But a Captain's Table? That's extreme and could easily back fire," she sensed a warning, and she knew what he meant, but after second guessing everything since their last confrontation, she was struggling to keep things professional, this was becoming increasingly personal, even if Dutchy was the only one that knew. She needed to put a lid on the gossip and set an example, as she saw it now this was the best way.

"I'm aware of that, but right now I don't see any other option. We need to squash this now before the rest of the crew start taking him seriously. A disciplinary hearing will send a message to the crew that I will not tolerate this behaviour." She stated her case convincingly, but the look that crossed his face told her he didn't agree.

"It's a bad idea."

"It's also my decision to make, I'm telling you because I want you to prosecute," she answered firmly, not wishing to prolong the discussion without coming up with an alternative course of action.

"That's an even worse idea, think about it, I start this rolling and there's no telling where it will end. Some of the stuff he's said today is too close to the wire-"

"Which is why we need to stop it now," she stressed.

"This is getting us nowhere," he grumbled, then softened his tone when he realised the situation was affecting her too and he saw something in her eyes; something he hadn't seen since their first discussion on the pub balcony 10 days before - uncertainty. "Something's tripped you out, what happened?"

"I've had Charge and RO telling me that spreading gossip isn't something new for 2-dads and both figure your attitude is because you've heard it." She sighed, "why didn't you tell me he was giving you a hard time?"

He noticed the look in her eyes soften, "because it was about me, there's always speculation about the women they've seen me with in the past and I usually brush it off, but this time it's different."

"Because I'm here? You're afraid that if you say anything you'll give too much away and they'll add things up?"

"Maybe ... you were-" he stopped, it didn't matter what he was trying to say every way he phrased it in his head sounded wrong. "Everything's different; to them you're a real person." He ran his hand through his close cropped hair then pushed his hands in his pockets. "Look I can't explain it and I can't tell you what to do, but I'm asking you to reconsider a Captain's Table, sleep on it and we can talk again in the morning, maybe I can find another way."

"Alright, but I can't ignore what's going on any longer, I've already let it go too long."

A metallic grating sound echoed in the still night and they exchanged a look. "I understand," he answered a little contritely, watching Elena as she let her eyes wander around the deck behind him, as she assessed who had appeared and what that meant for their discussion.

"I hope you do, I will not tolerate the attitude any further. This ship runs as a team and you are part of that," she told him, trying to sound official while flicking a stray hair behind her ear, hoping he understood the signal she was trying to convey, as she caught sight of a sailor strolling onto the deck. "Dismissed."

"Ma'am," he saluted. "I'll give you the report first thing tomorrow," he continued, hoping that he wasn't just digging a bigger hole for himself. He turned towards the hatch.

Elena remained on deck, she wasn't sure if anything had been accomplished and she still felt laying charges against 2-dads was the way to go, but she would do as he'd asked and think it through, at least it would give him time and she secretly hoped that Dutchy would come up with a better plan.

...

Elena was alone in the senior's mess, finishing breakfast the next morning when Dutchy appeared at the doorway. "Room for one more?" he asked casually.

She looked up and smiled, "sure, how are you this morning?"

He sat down opposite her, "better, I had some time to think."

Elena finished her tea and stood up, "I need to check in with NAVCOM, I'll see you in 30 minutes to finalise that discipline issue we discussed last night." The door to the room was still open, so she kept her tone business like and slightly cryptic, but he knew what she was talking about.

"Are you still planning to hold a Captain's Table?" he asked raising his head to look at her.

"I'm willing to listen to alternatives if you have any, but you do realise that it's my decision?" she asked.

"I get it."

Elena reached in her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and put it on the table, "this should answer some of your questions." She picked up her tray and left.

Dutchy stared after her a moment, then looked at the paper she'd left behind, he slowly reached out and picked it up. Unfolding it he looked at what she had written, not an immediate answer, but she'd offered him an olive branch. He refolded the paper and tucked it in his shirt pocket and proceeded to eat his breakfast.

...

Swain arrived on the bridge and checked the course and speed with the sailor who was at the helm. Satisfied they were on track, he reached for a pair of binoculars and looked out to sea.

A few minutes later Dutchy practically jogged up the stairs. "Swain, ship's office , the boss wants a word with you and Charge."

"Everything alright?"

"It will be," he answered cryptically, sitting in the Captain's chair.

"You seem in a better mood this morning, any reason?" Swain asked.

"Good night's sleep for starters," he revealed, almost cheerily.

"Did the boss say something to you last night?"

"What?" Dutchy asked looking puzzled as he turned to face Swain.

"2-dads and Spider saw you on camera last night, out on the boat deck; of course I stepped in and spoilt their fun, but it did look like you and the boss were sorting out a few things." Swain informed him, grinning.

"Yeah, we did, she'll fill you in on the details," he answered. "Anything to report?"

"On course for Mission Island, ETA 3 hours, you have the ship."

"I've got the ship," Dutchy echoed and Swain left.

...

RO relayed the latest messages about the supply drop to Elena and the team on the bridge as the phone rang, Swain picked it up as Elena consulted with Dutchy over the landing plan.

"Ma'am its Commander Flynn for you."

Elena thanked him and took the phone, "Sir, what can we do for you?"

"_I'm sending you some data on some FFV sightings in your area, HMAS Darwin were tracking a mother ship close to the line this morning but they got away, it's likely they'll try again. Since the storm there have been a number of incursions into Australian waters, we think their trying their luck, hoping to get away with as many catches as they can while we're busy with clean-up operations. Keep your eyes open."_

"Any indication of anything likely to cross our path?" she asked, Dutchy continued to watch the EOD and radar, but he was listening into the one-sided conversation.

"_All data we've got is being sent to you, read the transmission, all the information will be there. I'm also sending you an update on what we know about the community on Mission Island, they've been pretty closed off to outsiders for a number of years, this will be the first time they'll have had a visit from the Navy for a while." _

"Understood."

"_Let me know when the crew are back on board and you weigh anchor," he instructed._

"Yes Sir." She was quiet for a moment as she replaced the phone handset. "Robert, Commander Flynn is sending some information through on FFV activity let me know when it comes through."

"Yes ma'am." RO answered rising from his chair and dropping his headset on the console.

Dutchy moved a step closer to her. "Is everything alright?" he asked quietly, glancing over at Swain who was also listening, Elena looked up at both of them and said nothing for a few seconds.

"I'll tell you after I see the information, something just doesn't feel right, what's our ETA to the Island?"

"About 90 minutes," Swain responded, checking the instruments in front of him.

"I'm going to get some lunch, can I get anyone anything?" Everyone declined and she turned and left the bridge.

...

Charge was at the hatch waiting for Bird to dish up his lunch as Elena joined him in the queue. After exchanging brief greetings with those around her she glanced into the junior Sailor's mess and saw 2-dads already eating. Their timing was perfect.

"Charge, isn't it normal for the sailors to be fond of the odd hand of poker?" asked Elena, making an attempt at conversation.

"I haven't served on a ship yet that didn't have a few sailors who thought they played a pretty good hand," Charge answered giving her an impish smile as he took his plate from Bird.

"Really? Sounds like you play, would you be prepared to take on the boss?" she challenged light-heartedly.

"I'd be happy to relieve you of a few matchsticks," he chortled, seeing 2-dads attention turning their way.

"Matchsticks?" she queried looking a little confused.

"No gambling on the ship," he informed her with a wink that was unseen by anyone else.

"Okay, matchsticks it is," she agreed, taking her plate from Bird. "Is it just going to be the two of us or will anyone else play?" she asked innocently as Dutchy came up behind her and ordered his own food.

"What's going on?" he asked, his eyes drifting to 2-dads behind them.

"Charge had just agreed to a friendly game of poker, for matchsticks," she answered sweetly.

"Hey 2-dads, that's got to be an opportunity not to pass up, playing the boss at poker, you wouldn't mind him playing too would you?" Dutchy asked, his gaze sweeping from the young sailor to the older ones standing next to him; his tone was light, having just found a way to get back at 2-dads for all the gossiping the last week.

"I'm a little out of practice, so the more the merrier, how about we reconvene in the junior sailors mess after we leave Mission Island?" Elena answered giving them all a smile and heading into the senior sailors mess.

* * *

I've been asked - What is the Muse's favourite food?

_Answer - Chocolate, but as that's a difficult thing to share here, she'll settle for a review ..._

_SeaKat_


	15. A Game of Poker

_Thanks to everyone reading this, I'm posting this now so you're all caught up with the SP site. (30.5.11)_

_.  
_

_**Part 15 - A Game of Poker**_

The medical supply drop at Mission Island proceeded uneventfully and the Islanders welcomed their unscheduled visit, taking time to show Dutchy, Swain, Bird and 2-dads around the community. Returning to the ship Elena met them on deck to get a report on the visit.

"Everything alright?" she asked looking between her senior sailors.

"Everything's good boss, the clinic is better than we've seen on a lot of the islands and the doctor seems competent," Swain answered.

"The rest of the community buildings are in good repair and despite the lack of modern appliances the people are educated and aware of their unique position. Nothing seemed dodgy about them and they were keen to show us around," Dutchy continued.

"Good, NAVCOM would like a report on your visit and the islanders at some point before we dock in Cairns."

"So do we get to go home now Boss?" asked 2-dads cheekily.

"It's looking that way 2-dads, we're still on the lookout for FFVs, but as soon as you've stowed the RHIB we can set course for home port," she confirmed earning a delighted smile from 2-dads. "Dutchy when you're done here I need to speak to you."

"Yes, boss," he acknowledged and she turned away from the group and walked away, Swain and Bird following her inside.

"Well? What are you waiting for, it won't stow itself," Dutchy said to the other sailor still standing on the deck.

...

Elena was in her cabin, on the computer when she heard footsteps stop outside her door, she turned to see her visitor as they knocked on the door.

"Ma'am you wanted to see me?" Dutchy said formally, giving her a hint of a smile.

"Come in, close the door," she answered picking up a piece of paper from her desk and moving away.

Stepping inside quickly Dutchy closed the door and leant against it. "What's up?" he asked casually.

"This came through from NAVCOM, while you were ashore," she answered, holding out the piece of paper. "I'd like your opinion."

He slowly reached out and took the paper from her and they were silent for a few minutes while he read it. "How sure are NAVCOM about this?"

"You tell me, that's everything they've sent me."

"If this intel is accurate then this is going to be a massive haul; taking out the mother ship would put a massive dent in their operation."

"What are our chances?" she asked a frown creasing her forehead, making him want to reach out and smooth the lines away.

"Alone, probably not a hope in hell, they'll be on their guard."

"But they're making a bold strike in our fishing zones expecting us to be distracted by the relief effort," she concluded aloud.

Dutchy glanced at the paper in his hand again before answering, "they'll also know that we won't turn a blind eye forever, relief efforts have started to scale back, so this could be a final attempt at a big haul before we crack down again."

"And taking them on alone won't work?" she asked, watching his expression trying to ascertain what he was really thinking.

"It'll be a lot harder and a lot more risky for the crew, but maybe not impossible," he conceded.

"What about if we had another team?" she prompted slowly as she moved to the opposite end of the cabin and leant against the wall.

He thought for a moment, "double the manpower, double the boats, it could work. It'll take some planning."

She gave him a satisfied smile, "I'm glad you agree, we're going to rendezvous with HMAS Darwin at 2100, two of their officers will join us to plan the operation, we're going after the mother ship at first light."

"That's a bold move, are you sure about this?" he questioned, giving her a surprised look. When she didn't immediately answer he choked back a laugh, "you've already got it planned."

"I've discussed it with Commander Wilson, I put forward my suggestion and if a plan can be hashed out fully this evening, we're in agreement, we go after the mother ship." She informed him, her delighted smile telling him she knew she'd surprised him.

"Then let's do it," he agreed.

"Ask Swain to set course for the co-ordinates on the top of the page, I'll brief the crew later, but first I've got an appointment with a game of poker." She smiled.

"Can I come and watch?" he asked a grin crossing his face.

"As long as you don't put me off my game," she replied.

"I won't."

Elena expected him to leave then, but he didn't, he folded the paper and put it in the pocket of his shirt while removing the note she had given him earlier, watching her the whole time and making her feel a little self-conscious. Eventually he looked away, briefly glancing at the photo on her board.

"Did you look it up?" she asked, seeing where his eyes drifted and the note in his hand, "is that why you're still here? I can see it bothers you that you know nothing about him and me."

"That's not true, I know his name," he quipped, then turned serious again, "and that he was important to you." Pushing up from the door he took a few steps closer to her, she would have stepped back to maintain the gap but she was still standing with her back against a wall. "Elena, I'm glad you gave me that note this morning, but no, I haven't looked it up. I want you to know that as badly as I want to know what happened, I want you to be ready to tell me yourself," his voice was low, and she could feel his breath on her face as he leant closer, his arm resting above her head.

She turned her head and ducked under his arm and moved to the other end of the cabin, creating space between them as she turned to look at him he remained where he was. "I know what you were trying to do and anywhere else I would-" she stopped, not wanting to blur the lines and make things more personal again. "I can't talk about it while we're on the ship, I'd like it to be somewhere private, preferably with copious amounts of alcohol, but I'm ready for you to know what happened. I want you to look it up, I wouldn't have given you the website details if I didn't."

He curled his hand into a fist and lowered his arm, then turned around slowly, "I understand, I know what it's like to lose someone in action, I'm sorry."

"When we get home you can tell me all about it. Right now you should get those co-ordinates to Swain."

"Yes, Ma'am."

She opened the door and stepped out letting him pass her before closing the door and heading for the junior sailors mess.

...

Dutchy was leaving the bridge when he heard Spider in the passageway. He paused for a moment to listen, "hey guys, have you heard, 2-dads is taking on the CO at poker."

"The CO? She wouldn't do that," exclaimed Buck. "Would she? I mean isn't it against the rules or something?" he asked.

"I'm telling you, it's going down, Charge is playing too, you've gotta see this," Spider's enthusiasm carried his voice, Dutchy shook his head and smiled.

Obviously convinced, Buck must have followed Spider as their footsteps retreated down the corridor and Dutchy appeared and followed them, arriving at the Junior Sailor's Mess to see a number of the crew all gathered around to watch.

Charge threw down his cards at the end of the hand, "this is getting too rich for me, I'm out." Dutchy smirked as he leant against the door and caught the Engineer's eye as he relaxed to watch the rest of the game.

For a while it looked like Elena was losing more hands than she was winning, but after bluffing 2-dads into parting with most of his matchsticks she glanced around and rolled her shoulders. One of the sailors acting as dealer set up the next hand, Dutchy edged further into the room until he was standing behind Elena and got a better view of the action. He folded his arms and leant back against the wall.

She lost the next couple of hands leaving 2-dads with most of the matchsticks, making him smug and overconfident. While he taunted her, she ignored it, the crew were silent, waiting to see the outcome.

The dealer laid down the flop, 2-dads rubbed his hands with glee. Dutchy couldn't see Elena's expression, but her rigid posture and just the tiniest of head movements implied that she was concentrating.

"Ma'am, you've played a good game, but this is it, there can only be one winner and you've met the Champion!" 2-dads crowed, grinning like a wild thing.

"We'll see about that Leader, I'm not out yet, in fact I'm going all in," she retaliated, her tone and manner cool and collected as she pushed her remaining matchsticks into the centre of the table.

"I hate to take your money boss," he stated figuratively. "But if you insist," he added, matching her bet as they turned over their cards.

Elena held a suited jack and king of spades, a matching ace lay on the table; 2-dads held a pair of 10's neither of which matched Elena's potential flush. Another pair, this time the 3s of hearts and clubs also formed part of the flop, setting 2-dads up with the winning hand so far. It appeared that Elena was about to lose, which would make the younger sailor completely insufferable. Dutchy wondered if there was any way of extracting her from the game, claiming urgent ship's business, but she had made it clear earlier that unless it was life or death then he was to stay out of it, he hoped she knew what she was doing.

The dealer laid down the next card, Elena made no comment or movement, Dutchy thought he saw the hint of a frown cross 2-dads face, but it disappeared a split second later, the card was the 10 of spades, giving 2-dads a full house. The card also matched Elena's hand, leaving her one card away from beating him, but the chances of her getting the one card she needed was pretty slim. It seemed like everyone in the room was holding their breath.

2-dads caught Elena's eye and they stared at each other as the final card was dealt and a gasp went around the room. Charge whooped and grinned insanely, 2-dads looked completely stunned; Elena never moved a muscle. The card was the queen of spades, giving her a royal flush and beating 2-dads full house.

After a few seconds 2-dads seemed to regain his bravado, "beginner's luck boss, you can't get those hands all the time."

"Don't worry 2-dads, I don't rely on the top scoring hands," she answered.

The dealer swiftly dealt the next hand and they placed their opening bets and waited for the flop. More betting ensued then the 4th card was laid down. By the time the final card was overturned the room seemed to be poised in suspended animation, no one having any idea which way this hand would play out, the players keeping their pocket cards to themselves.

The cards on the table were a disparate collection, it appeared no one would have a brilliant hand this round and with neither player conceding it all revolved around the revelation of their pocket cards, Elena showed hers first, revealing two pairs, but low ranking cards meant that she could still be beaten if 2-dads also managed 2 pair with higher ranking cards. His hand revealed only a single pair. A hum of excitement and expectation rippled around the room as the cards were collected, shuffled and dealt again, the players preparing for another hand. Now it was 2-dads who barely had any matchsticks to play with.

Elena bid fast and high on seeing her pocket cards, leaving 2-dads no choice but to fold or go all in. He couldn't resist challenging the CO's hand, assuming her to be bluffing, so he called her on it. Silence enveloped the room once more as 2-dads revealed a pair of 10s, Elena turned her cards, revealing a Jack and a 4. 2-dads chuckled insanely, Elena stayed quiet, Dutchy noticed her shoulders stiffen and he had to struggle to stop himself resting his hands on her and massaging away the tension.

The dealer quickly revealed the remaining cards, nothing spectacular arose until the final card was turned. It was a jack.

As Elena accepted the congratulations of the crew and collected the matchsticks, 2-dads sat at the table in silence, his mouth open in shock.

"Nice going man, thought you could beat the boss eh? Maybe next time you'll learn to control those impulses of yours. You're not as infallible as you'd have us think," Dutchy gloated.

Slowly 2-dads recovered enough to look at Elena who had stood up to leave. "I must say ma'am, not many people can beat me, that was awesome, where d'you learn to play?"

Elena glanced between Dutchy and Charge giving them a big smile before turning to 2-dads, "I paid my way through college by working as a croupier at a casino in Sydney, when I was training I was taught by some of the masters, it's no good just dealing, you need to understand the play as well."

"You were a- seriously?" 2-dads stuttered, Elena laughed.

"Seriously, it's a while since I played, but I think I remembered enough," she answered.

"You set me up?" he choked.

"Absolutely my young Jedi," Charge answered then looked at Elena. "Ma'am, you were awesome, I think 2-dads here is too shocked to fully understand what just happened," Charge clapped 2-dads shoulder jovially.

"Yeah, beaten by the boss, that's got to be a first," Dutchy joked.

"Alright boys, enough, I think you should leave 2-dads to reflect on his defeat for a while before he reports to the ships office to answer charges of rumour mongering," Elena directed the senior sailors.

She was part way out of the room, when 2-dads seemed to come to his senses, "boss? Charges? I don't understand."

Elena turned back to him a firm and serious look on her face now, "it has come to my attention that you've been spreading rumours about a member of this crew, I want to see you in the ships office in 30 minutes to hear what punishment is warranted."

She turned and marched out, Dutchy and Charge following her, leaving 2-dads alone.

* * *

_Next chapter is now written, so 2-dads fate is sealed and his punishment confirmed. Virtual chocolate is a great way to entice the muse to keep writing ... and posting.  
_


	16. Reprimands and Reputations

_So now it's time for 2-dads to hear his punishment, then we can proceed with chasing the FFV mother ship ... _

_The section in bold in the middle relates to what is on the website Dutchy is looking at ...  
_

_**Part 16 - Reprimands and Reputations**_

2-dads knocked on the door to the ships office having spent the last half hour in total confusion; it had slowly dawned on him that the poker game had been a distraction and that he had probably met a worthy opponent on the ship, the first ever, but now he was wondering what lay in store for him now.

"Come in."

He opened the door to find Elena standing with Swain and Dutchy. Swain looked up, "Come in and close the door."

2-dads complied, then faced Elena, "Ma'am I don't know what you've heard, but I just want to say-" His attempt to speak in his own defence was quickly shot down.

"Did I ask you to speak Leader?" she snapped.

"No Ma'am," he answered seriously, standing in front of the door, aware that 3 pairs of eyes were watching him.

"Then keep quiet until you're asked to," she retorted angrily and he noticed her glance at Dutchy briefly before turning back to him. "It has come to my attention that despite the warning I gave you our first day at sea, that you have continued to stir things among the crew by spreading gossip about a fellow officer."

"You said not to do it in earshot," he grinned, throwing her earlier words back at her.

She returned a stony glare, but held her temper and answered swiftly and forcefully, "which you also ignored, whatever rumours you've been spreading or whatever you have been taunting Dutchy with stops now!"

"It's just a bit of fun boss, we all know his reputation with the _ladies_," 2-dads joked, looking at the acting XO, who clearly bristled at the jibe, because he stepped forward and probably would have throttled him if it hadn't been for Swain stepping in and holding him back.

Elena shot a warning glance at Dutchy before turning her attention back to the junior sailor. "Whatever anyone chooses to do off this boat is their own business, as long as it does not interfere with smooth operations on board. Your actions are threatening that and I will not tolerate it any longer do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," 2-dads finally answered, a little subdued.

"I hope you do." He waited a moment to see if she was going to say anything else, a slight smirk crossing his face as he remembered the last time he was hauled up by the captain for spreading gossip, she obviously noticed because her eyes glared as they bore into him. "Your reputation and record precede you Leading Seaman Kosov-Meyer and with your current attitude and demand for attention a Captain's Table would be warranted." He glared at her wondering for a moment why she hadn't called for one, especially with his previous actions which she seemed to be aware of, now he was shocked. "You can thank Dutchy you're not, he obviously sees something in you I don't because he's asked me not to press charges. As he seems to be the brunt of your jokes and gossip I have acceded for now, however if I hear one more word about anyone's personal life out of your mouth I will have no choice, do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am," this time his tone was more contrite as he absorbed the seriousness of his situation.

"From now until we reach home port whenever you are not on watch or sleeping you will report to Swain or Dutchy for additional duties and you can begin by helping out Bird in the galley again, she's running behind because of the Mission Island drop off, so your assistance in peeling vegetables will be greatly appreciated."

"Please Ma'am not the galley, I'll do anything else," he pleaded at the thought of another 2 hours with the potato peeler and the damage he'd managed to inflict on his hands the last time he had the task.

"It's not up for discussion Leader, galley duty first then you will be doing _everything_ else and if you don't do it to an acceptable standard you will have to start all over again," 2-dads didn't remember her tone ever being as cool and severe as it was now. "Oh and no more poker games," she added finally.

A knock on the door was followed by Charge entering. "Sorry Ma'am I just need to report that there's a problem with the sewage pipe from the crew quarters, it seems there's a blockage somewhere and we need someone to take a look and clear it." 2-dads tried not to listen, but couldn't avoid it when Dutchy laughed.

"Looks like you just found your first task 2-dads, can it wait until after dinner Charge, the boss has just told him to help Bird in the galley?"

Charged seemed to think for a moment then nodded. "It's not too bad at the moment so yeah it'll keep till after dinner. Of course I couldn't say how bad it will be by then."

"You're setting me up here aren't you?" 2-dads moaned.

"Sorry mate, I guess you'd call this unfortunate timing, it just happened," Charge answered before leaving.

"That's settled then, 2-dads report to the galley and as soon as you're done there report to Dutchy and deal with that blocked pipe," Elena told him. "Dismissed." Slowly he turned and left the room. Elena turned to her senior officers, "do you think it will work?"

"Anything is worth a try boss," Swain agreed. "I'll go start on that list of jobs," he added then followed 2-dads pulling the door closed behind him.

Elena turned to Dutchy, giving him a firm stare, "Swain just saved your bacon, if you'd have laid a hand on 2-dads I would have had to put you on charges. I know he's got under your skin this week, but you have to let it go or I'll be forced to reprimand you as well," Her expression and tone were firm but neutral so he had no idea what she was really thinking.

"I'm sorry, I know I've got a reputation with this crew-" he started, needing to explain himself and stop her thinking the worst, but he didn't get the chance.

"And you don't want me to hear about all my predecessors from them?" she interrupted, her voice and eyes softening a little. "I'm under no illusions that I'm one in a long line, I also know that sailors talk, sometimes they can be worse than old women, they're even good at embellishing the facts. It might surprise you to know that I don't hold your past against you." She moved to the door and reached for the handle, "it's how you act now that counts."

She pulled the door open and walked away, leaving Dutchy standing alone in the room. He waited for a moment, his head spinning at her words. Eventually he decided that as he had the room to himself he would look up the website she had given him earlier and sat down at one of the computers.

He typed in the website and called up the page and was confronted by an official photo of the same guy that appeared in the photo with Elena. The article was dated 18 months earlier.

**"_Australian SAS Captain killed during covert operation with British SAS in Afghanistan." _**

**_A confidential report was issued to the family of Captain Nikolai Larkin earlier today regarding the incident in which he lost his life. In a rare move by the Government, a spokesman for the Defence Agency met with Captain Larkin's wife and other relatives. The 90 minute meeting at the Agency headquarters in Canberra was described as open and honest, where it is believed the spokesman gave the family full disclosure on the circumstances surrounding the death of Captain Larkin during a British SAS covert operation in Afghanistan. An operation which took place during a period of secondment to the unit based in Herefordshire in England. _**

**_Full details remain classified but the press has been told that the SAS team were scouting possible locations of insurgents in northern Helmand Province and were ambushed during a surveillance operation. Three members of the group, including Captain Larkin died of injuries sustained in a gun battle during the night of November 4__th__ 2009. Captain Larkin's remains were repatriated to Australia where the family declined a military funeral preferring a private ceremony at their home in Queensland._**

**_Captain Larkin's wife, herself a member of the armed services has refused all requests to speak to the press and attempts to speak to other members of the family have also failed. They have asked to be left alone with their grief and for his wife and other members of the family in service to be allowed to fulfil their obligations without hindrance. _**

**_Biography: Capt. Nikolai Larkin_**

**_Protecting the Peace and our Borders - A Larkin Legacy_**

**_History of the Afghanistan Conflict_**

**_The SAS_**

Dutchy was about to click on one of the links for more details when the creaking of the door drew his attention and he hurriedly closed the window he was reading; however, he continued to sit there for a moment as Buck entered and sat at the machine next to him.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Buck asked noting the blank screen and Dutchy's quiet demeanour.

Dutchy scrubbed his hand down his face and stood up. "Nah, mate, carry on, I can come back later, I've got stuff to do," he answered despondently and left the room.

...

As things turned out HMAS Darwin made good time to the rendezvous and arrived over an hour ahead of schedule, a relief to the Hammersley crew who had already been waiting an hour. A quick transfer of personnel meant that the planning to go after the FFV mother ship could start earlier. Elena and Swain were already in the Ship's office when Dutchy brought in the team from Darwin, Buffer and their XO, a capable guy by the name of Jones.

After discussing Elena's suggestion then adding a few changes eventually they had what they thought to be a workable plan. All that was left was to brief the RHIB crews of both ships and hope that Coast Watch's latest co-ordinates for the mother ship were accurate. Darwin and Hammersley were set to shadow her just over the horizon during the night and to insert 4 RHIB crews just before it started to get light.

Swain escorted the visitors back to their RHIB to transfer back to Darwin.

"I didn't get a chance to ask earlier, who else is still around?" Buffer asked as they moved through the ship.

"Charge, 2-dads and Lt Commander McGregor, but she's in Canberra teaching this week," he answered.

"So what happened to everyone else? I know the CO moved to NAVCOM, but what about Bomber?"

"Things got rather personal between her and 2-dads and she left the service a few months back."

"Good personal or bad?" he prompted.

"They broke the fraternisation rules and since then who knows, one minute everything seems fine, the next it's all off again. I think it's on again at the moment. You'd think getting caught flouting the regs he'd be a bit more mature about spreading rumours, but he hasn't changed," Swain mused almost to himself.

"So who's he screwing with now?" Buffer asked, his tone direct, but with a hint of amusement.

"Dutchy, your replacement, he's been the brunt of rumours about a woman he was seen with before we sailed," Swain admitted.

"At least she's not on the ship, unlike the XO and myself," Buffer responded, as the conversation brought back memories he thought he'd buried away somewhere never to be aired again.

"Yeah, you never did tell us what happened on the pearling lugger that night before the pirates boarded," prodded Swain with a smile.

"Swaino, you may be a mate, but I will not forgive you and Charge for what you said that day, our CO gave us that assignment and there was nothing going on between the XO and myself, it was purely professional," Buffer countered defensively, the embarrassment coming back to haunt him.

"Alright Buff, I believe you," Swain chuckled.

"How's your temporary CO? She seems in control," Buffer asked deflecting attention away from himself.

"She's good, quickly got the measure of the crew, including 2-dads and Spider and handled herself well in the storm," Swain confirmed.

"Good to hear, so how's my replacement working out?"

"He took a while to settle in, seemed to have a problem with the X more than the crew, but after getting jumped by grog runners they seemed to work things out, now they're like you two were. I'm surprised 2-dads hadn't pegged them for a couple. They make a great team," Swain told him as they emerged onto the boat deck.

By the time they'd crossed the deck Darwin's XO was already down the steps into their RHIB, cutting off any further conversation. "I'd best be off, see you tomorrow Swaino."

"Night Buff." Swain waited for the RHIB to clear the hull then turned and headed for the bridge.

...

Elena appeared on the bridge next morning, an hour before the time set for the deployment of the boarding parties. All was quiet and they had successfully located and shadowed the FFV mother ship during the night. A quick call to HMAS Darwin confirmed they were on a parallel course and ready to proceed. She took the mike and held it for a few seconds as footsteps echoed on the stairs, she turned to greet the early riser and was not surprised to see Dutchy half ready for the mission.

"Morning boss," he greeted cheerily as he held out a cup of coffee for her while taking a sip of his own.

"Morning," she replied and took the offered cup and sipped it. "Thanks, I needed this." She took another mouthful then put the cup down and focused on the mission at hand. "I hope you got some sleep last night."

"Can't afford not too with an insertion like this one."

"Good." She raised the microphone and pressed the button, "hear there, captain speaking, all personnel to take their posts, RHIB crews as instructed by Dutchy report to the ships office for final instructions. Remaining personnel report to the bridge or boat deck immediately, that is all." She lowered the microphone and returned it to its cradle on the console. "Darwin are all set, communications between the crews run through you and their XO. Each team leader will instruct their own crew. Are our crews sorted?"

"Yeah, Thunder in the lead with me, 2-dads, Bird and Spider, then Charge, Swain, RO and Pike in Lightning."

"You didn't put Swain or RO up front?" she asked, wondering why some of their key personnel were confined to the 2nd boat.

"We may need a good back up team to move in after and if we do take casualties I don't want to risk Swain being one of them and you may need RO more if things don't work out, you can't run the comcen by yourself. You have a problem with that?" he asked slightly defensively after explaining his thinking, wondering if she disagreed with him.

"No, it's probably what I would have done, I just wanted to hear your reasons. You'd better get down to the office, then kit up, full tactical gear, extra plates," she answered. "Don't take unnecessary chances. I want you all back in one piece," she enforced holding his gaze for a moment longer than necessary.

"That's the plan," he confirmed and jogged down the stairs.

* * *

_I'm still writing the next chapter so the muse needs to be fed to keep her interested... more chocolate please._


	17. The Mother Ship

_Thanks to those who sent presents to feed the muse, we've now arrived at the action part again. ..._

_**Part 17 - The Mother Ship**_

Elena raised the night vision goggles to her eyes and watched from the bridge as the two RHIBs powered away from the ship towards their target.

"Ma'am, the two RHIBs from Darwin are also away," Buck confirmed as he watched the radar blips tracking the 4 RHIBs.

She lowered the binoculars and glanced at Buck, "good, keep watching and tell me when they've reached their rendezvous points."

She raised the binoculars again and watched the RHIBs moving further away. As they became more difficult to track, she turned her attention to the EOD and holding a radio in her hand she stood next to Buck and watched the first RHIB as it began to move into position ahead of the mother ship. A moment later they were joined by the lead RHIB from Darwin.

...

Several tense minutes ensued as the RHIBs finalised their position and sat in wait for the mother ship. The two reserve boats sitting back just out of the ship's radar range ready to insert as necessary.

Elena paced up and down the bridge, she was always like this minutes before the action started, concerned for her crews and the mission, once she gave the order to insert she settled down, but these last few minutes were always the worst.

"Ma'am, I've got another contact," Buck announced looking up at her surprised. She stopped abruptly next to him and studied the radar. "Looks like they're heading right for the lead RHIBs."

Elena didn't like the way the second contact would converge on their primary boarding party and give away their plan.

She raised the radio towards her mouth and peered at the EOD images, "Can you bring up the second ship?" she asked then pressed the transmit button. "Charlie-82 to Bravo-82, we have a second contact heading directly for your position, time to intercept less than 10 minutes, stand-by," she warned them. Seeing the image come up on the EOD she realised what was happening she wanted to consult with the other ship, but it didn't give the boarding parties much time to move. She looked over at their back-up radio operator, "get me Commander Wilson on the SAT phone, now!"

…..

In the RHIB on hearing the information given to Dutchy everyone started looking around. For several agonising minutes they held their position and radio silence, awaiting instructions.

"What do you suppose it is?" asked Spider eventually.

"Probably an FFV coming to off-load their catch," Dutchy answered, peering into the darkness and hearing the engine noise in the distance.

"So do we take both out now?" 2-dads questioned.

"Bravo-82 this is Charlie-82 we have 2 further FFVs appearing on radar, it looks like they're making for the mother ship, we do not have the manpower to take all of them abort the mission. Repeat abort the mission all crews to return to base. Acknowledge, over."

"Bravo-82 acknowledged," Dutchy replied while tapping their driver on the shoulder and indicating he should pull back and return to the ship. He heard Swain acknowledge the order a moment later followed by the echoes of the Darwin teams.

…..

As they returned to the ship dawn was beginning to break overhead. Elena was waiting for them.

"We're going to shadow them and be ready to move at the first opportunity, Coast Watch have a plane in the air and will do a fly-over and hopefully tell us if there are any other vessels in the area that might want to rendezvous with our target," she informed Dutchy as he came aboard from the RHIB. "Go and get yourself a brew and stand down the boarding party for now," she instructed as everyone headed into the ship to remove their protective gear and stow their weapons, leaving the two of them alone on deck for a moment.

"Are we going after the FFVs too?" He questioned, not in any hurry to go inside and listen to the incessant chatter of the younger sailors.

"No, NAVCOM want us to focus on the mother ship, it's probably supporting a large number of smaller vessels due to its size and it's really taking a chance to come this far into our waters, so if we can take it out it will put a big dent in the illegal fishing trade."

"So we're going to sit and wait?" he asked, hoping that the answer wasn't the one he expected.

"What do you think?" Elena parried teasingly. Silence dropped between them, business concluded for the moment, they seemed to be stalling about returning to their duties, but he had the feeling that things were more awkward than they had been since they'd talked the day before.

"If you want to get some more sleep I can take watch," he offered only to receive a firm rejection.

"Not now, we need to be prepared to move the minute we get the chance. I suppose that you don't want to either."

"No. I just hate the waiting, I'd rather be dealing with it," he answered, slowly undoing the straps securing his Kevlar vest.

"Careful what you wish for, they're likely to be heavily armed with a big crew. I'm not anxious to send you all into the firing line without being assured of certain facts. We'll hang back and wait to take the ship on its own. Go get out of that Kevlar and get a brew, I'll see you on the bridge later."

She turned and walked away, but not before he saw the apprehensive look in her eyes as she mentioned the possibility of the ship's crew being armed. He stood for a moment watching her, wondering how much longer they would have to play the waiting game for a conversation that was already long overdue.

...

Several hours passed as they watched a number of FFVs rendezvous with the mother ship and unload their catch, making sure to record everything, because if the ship turned tail and headed for the line they had the evidence to go after them for fishing in Australian waters. Several crews had rotated through the bridge keeping watch, the only constant was Elena, except for the few minutes that she had retreated to her cabin for a bathroom break or to take phone calls from NAVCOM or HMAS Darwin.

Having performed some of his other duties Charge appeared on the bridge and noticed she was still there.

"Ma'am take a break, Bird kept you some SCRAN. You've been here all morning, I'll take over for a while."

"Did someone put you up to this Charge?" she asked raising her binoculars and checking for any activity on the sea.

"No, Ma'am," he answered a little too quickly.

"Really?" she questioned lowering the glasses, satisfied there was nothing visible to cause them a problem. "Dutchy tried the same thing about an hour ago and Swain before that."

"Fine, you got me," conceded Charge standing at her shoulder. "They do have a point though. When we head out there again you're going to need to be just as prepared. Camping out here all day until an opportunity presents itself is not the best way to do that. The boys wouldn't be doing their job if they weren't looking out for you."

"I know, but I just get the impression that the minute I leave all hell will break loose," she countered tiredly, raising the binoculars and checking out the horizon again briefly.

"You wouldn't be the only one. Commander Flynn and Lt-Cdr McGregor are just the same. Dedication to duty comes with a price. But it shouldn't come at the price of your own well being. I'll take over and call you the minute it looks like anything is happening."

Elena sighed; all the senior sailors had cornered her in the last hour and as much as she wanted to stay on the bridge and keep on top of things, she was actually quite hungry and they did have a point, she couldn't keep focused indefinitely. She still couldn't shake a feeling that had been growing all day, one that something major was about to happen. Finally she agreed, "very well, I'll go get some food. Keep your eyes peeled." She pushed herself out of her chair and handed him the binoculars. "Charge has the ship."

"I've got the ship ma'am and I promise to call for you the minute I see anything."

"There's one ship off loading now, and looks like another lined up to come in after. Coast Watch are doing another pass in an hour."

Charge stepped back to let her leave the bridge then settled himself in the command chair and raised the binoculars to scan the horizon.

…..

Nearly an hour after Charge persuaded Elena to leave the bridge Dutchy jogged up the stairs and seemed surprised she wasn't there.

"Hey Charge, where's the boss? I thought she was glued to that chair," he quipped, looking over a crewman's shoulder at the EOD and radar.

"I think between the 3 of us trying to persuade her to take a break she gave in to the inevitable," he responded.

"Anything happening?"

"Nah, not that's useful to us anyway. Coast Watch are due to fly over any minute, hopefully they'll have better news. Didn't you see the boss below?"

"Nah, went to grab some sleep after lunch, just in case we're up all night. RO any update from NAVCOM or Darwin about activity in the area?"

"No, it's all been very quiet," he answered fastidiously as he replaced his headphones to listen to any radio calls and cutting short any further attempt at conversation, not that Dutchy minded, RO wasn't exactly high on his list of conversation partners .

"You need a break Charge?" he asked, hating the thought of just sitting around waiting for the rest of the afternoon.

"I'm good; I'll give you a shout if anything develops. Why don't you go get yourself a brew, it'll be better than waiting around up here," Charge encouraged.

"Don't say I didn't offer," Dutchy countered before disappearing down the stairs.

Bird was in the galley, preparing food as he wandered in. "Hey Chicken legs, thought you'd be having some downtime after lunch."

She smiled up at him, "no, I thought I'd get a head start on dinner while it's quiet, then I'm not playing catch up later if we do get called for the boarding."

"Where's 2-dads? He's supposed to be helping you." Dutchy looked around, wondering where the scoundrel had got to this time.

"He was, Swain called him away to check a faulty circuit in the ward room," she answered, allaying the Buffer's fears that he was skiving again.

"As long as he's doing something productive," he countered feeling a little relieved that at least he wasn't going to have to get on 2-dads case again.

"Can I get you something?" Bird interrupted his thoughts.

"I'll just grab a brew, has anyone seen the boss?"

"Not for a while, maybe she's in her cabin," she suggested helpfully.

…..

Elena was replaying a video from home when there was a knock on her door and she paused the screen, "come-in"

The door opened slightly and Dutchy stuck his head in, "I can come back if this is a bad time" he offered seeing her computer running.

"No, it's fine, did you need me for something?" she asked, flipping the lid to her computer closed, aware that he had noticed it running with something other than emails and reports.

"Nothing urgent, still no news from anyone, so it seems like we're just going to sit here," he answered a little despondently, wondering what she didn't want him to see.

"It's all we can do for now. I know it's tough, but maybe we'll be better off for it."

He thought she sounded tired and was about to comment when the tannoy cut into the peaceful moment, "CO, Dutchy to the bridge, CO, Dutchy to the bridge." Charge's voice echoed through the ship calling them back to duty.

"Maybe our prayers have been answered and we can deal with this and go home," she replied, standing up and following Dutchy towards the stairs.

Arriving on the Bridge she glanced around, "sitrep Charge."

"Coast Watch have just sent through the latest report, RO's pulling the details now, but it looks like this FFV is the last to unload, nothing else visible that can reach the mother ship in the next 3 hours."

"Good, we'll give the FFV time to get clear before we move in," she looked at the EOD and radar, "Subject to confirmation of the details, we'll go to boarding stations in 30 minutes. Dutchy?"

He checked the screens for himself, as she waited for his response, "agreed."

A few minutes later having checked the details from Coast Watch and reviewed the location of the target vessel. Elena looked up from the chart table where they had laid out their plan. "RO can you get me Commander Wilson," she instructed.

After a brief conversation, she handed the phone to Dutchy, "go over the plan one more time with their XO so we can make sure there's no problems."

"Yes Ma'am," he confirmed taking the phone from her.

...

45 minutes later all RHIBs were once again deployed and heading for their rendezvous points. This time they were working off an alternate plan as they were going to effect a daylight boarding unlike their first attempt which was a stealth manoeuvre in the dark.

The mother ship was once again under direct surveillance thanks to the clear weather and good image range for the EOD. The two primary RHIBs for each ship were a few hundred yards ahead of the others and waiting for the final command to insert.

"Ma'am, they're turning," reported the seaman studying the EOD.

"They're more than likely full with all the ships they've encountered today, so they could be getting ready to make a break for the line."

Elena raised the radio to her mouth and pressed the transmit button. "All teams, target vessel is turning 180 degrees for suspected escape, prepare to board."

All 4 teams acknowledged the information as did the Radio Officer on Darwin and with a final look at the EOD pictures, Elena issued the order they had waited all day for, "insert, insert, insert!"

...

As the two lead RHIBs raced towards the target, the teams anchored themselves against the bounce of the boat across the waves. The backup crews continued to shadow them a few hundred feet back.

Dutchy was leading the boarding with Buffer in the other RHIB while the Darwin XO lead the backup teams and as the ship came into view the Hammersley Buffer cast a practised eye over the scene and glanced back at the other boats chasing them. Looking forward again he could see movement on deck and flicked his visor down on his helmet and reached for his weapon. "Secondaries off. 2-dads make sure that camera's rolling," he shouted over the noise of the RHIB engine as he looked over to the other boat seeing them also preparing.

"Red light's on," 2-dads acknowledged, pulling his own weapon and preparing it for use if needed. Meanwhile he could hear instructions being issued from Hammersley ordering the ship to heave to, but it was clear they were not prepared to as their speed picked up and more crew appeared on deck.

Another warning from Hammersley instructed the mother ship to heave to, only this time the standard warning about being fired upon accompanied the command. The ship was still moving too fast to board safely, so Dutchy tapped their driver on the shoulder and slowed down the RHIB, then looked over to the Darwin boat who had followed suit, meaning they dropped back behind the FFV.

...

Back on the bridge of the Hammersley, Elena was issuing instructions to the sailor tasked with controlling the typhoon.

"Target acquired Ma'am, preparing to fire single burst 100 yards ahead of the bow," he informed her as she looked out her binoculars at the ship.

"Make it 50," she countered and waited for the revised order to be confirmed as she scanned the mother ship's decks.

"Roger ma'am 50 yards ahead of the bow. RHIB Crews are holding back at the safety margin."

"Roger that, give them one final order to heave to," she ordered, now scanning the area around the ship and noting the RHIB crews were indeed at a safe distance.

"Ma'am, gunfire on deck, appears to be aimed at the boarding party," Buck announced lowering his own binoculars as the radio call went out to the mother ship.

Elena quickly focused on the activity on deck, Buck was right, "is the typhoon aimed at target?" she asked quickly.

"Yes Ma'am, 50 yards ahead of the bow as instructed."

"One short burst, engage!" she called and for a second took her eyes of the deck of the ship to see their own gunfire land on target.

A shocked call echoed across the radio and she recognised Spider's voice, "RPG, take cover!"

Elena spun to see the weapon concerned release a missile towards the Darwin RHIB as it took evasive manoeuvres, throwing at least 2 crew into the water, fortunately out of the immediate line of fire of the rocket which had been fired at them and splashed into the sea a safe distance away.

"Sierra-82, move forward, give assistance to Bravo-04," she had barely finished speaking when heavy machine gun fire erupted from the stern of the FFV aimed directly at Thunder, their own lead RHIB, along with another missile from the RPG.

"Thunder, take evasive action immediately, incoming missile!" she practically yelled into the radio.

...

Dutchy had seen the Darwin RHIB's near miss, but with Elena already issuing instructions he focused on trying to move forward to try and board again, aware that the second Darwin boat would be joining them shortly. He saw the muzzle flashes of the automatic fire now emanating from the rear of the ship and again nudged their driver to begin evasive manoeuvres. Before they could move far the flash came from the RPG and he realised it was headed directly for them, at the same time as Elena's call sounded on the radio and he grabbed the controls and pushed them forward hard and fast towards the FFV.

* * *

_Nothing is currently written for the next chapter, but I have the ideas, it is unlikely that a new chapter will be posted until sometime next week, I have to study this weekend which really sucks, but hopefully it will all be worth it in the end._


	18. Under Attack

_Sorry for the delay getting these chapters up, a college assignment, flaky internet and a pc in need of a re-build are my excuse. Will try and keep up better in future._ _ The bonus is you have 3 chapters to read.  
_

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**Part 18 – Under Attack**

Buck watched the RHIB power forward as the RPG fired for the second time, "Thunder's under direct attack!"

"Bravo-82, evasive action!" Elena urged into the radio, her eyes peeled on the EOD. "Sanders, get us closer, revolutions 2-0-0-0."

"Ma'am, Charge doesn't want us running the engines that hard," stated the young man warily.

"I know, but right now we don't have any option, get us in there," she added, acknowledging the concern, but feeling that the benefits to their crews in the line of fire, outweighed the risk to the engines.

"Roger ma'am revolutions 2-0-0-0," the young man at the helm responded, confirming the earlier order.

Elena never took her eyes of the activity being tracked on the EOD, silently willing them to evade what was being fired at her team. "Let's try and give them something to think about while our team gets out of there," she instructed to the crewman at the EOD controls. "Prepare another volley, 3 rounds 50 yards ahead of the bow."

...

Swain's RHIB swooped in to support the Darwin RHIB and managed to quickly locate Buffer who had been one of the unfortunate sailors to be thrown overboard. With Charge's help he was quickly hauled on board while the remaining crew in the other RHIB rescued their other sailor.

"Hey Buff, don't think this is the time for a swim," greeted Charge, as Swain quickly checked him over.

"To right there Charge, how are the others?"

"Thunder's under attack!" young Pike shouted from the front of the RHIB, drawing the attention of the senior sailors.

"You okay Buff?" asked Swain, his attention still on the sailor they'd hauled from the sea.

"Yeah, fine, let's get in there and take some of the heat see if we can salvage something from this."

Swain indicated for their driver to follow the order and they braced themselves as the ship bounced across the waves.

...

Dutchy realised he was taking quite a risk by pushing the RHIB forward rather than getting out of the line of fire, but he hoped their already forward momentum would give them enough room to escape the rocket heading towards them. Ordering the rest of the crew to hang on and keep down he ducked behind the controls next to the RHIB driver.

A whooshing sound as the rocket sailed perilously close to them preceded a violent lurch, throwing the team around heavily as the rocket splashed into the water nearby. As they righted themselves to assess the damage they were again met with a volley of automatic gunfire from the mother ship. Dutchy had just stood up and raised his own weapon as the shots found their target, several rounds hitting him in the centre of his Kevlar vest and knocking him off balance and into the water.

...

Elena had seen everything on the EOD and had the radio clasped so firmly in her hand her knuckles were white. Raising it to her mouth she pressed the transmitter, "Thunder, get Dutchy aboard and get out of there now!" she almost yelled into the device.

Continuing to watch the EOD, the crewman scanned the wider area and checked on the other RHIBs, he could see Swain had picked up one of Darwin's sailors and the 2 boats were holding back a safe distance as the other Darwin boat raced to give cover fire while the team on Thunder retrieved Dutchy from the water.

"All teams withdraw and return to base," Elena instructed for the second time that day. The crew were much more heavily armed than they had anticipated, but now she was not prepared to let them escape. However with 3 crew already possibly injured or worse she couldn't justify, at that time, still ordering a boarding. They needed a new plan. She watched the team on Thunder haul an apparently lifeless Dutchy into the boat. "Repeat all teams withdraw and return to base, immediately."

After a moment's silence they all watched transfixed as the RHIBs turned and headed towards the ship. The crew on the mother ship were laughing and celebrating that the navy had been turned away.

"We'll get them," vowed Elena, her voice calm and determined. "Buck make sure the ward room is ready for Swain and bring a stretcher to the deck," she announced then raised the radio again. "Thunder sit rep, over." Buck acknowledged the order and left the bridge.

"2-dads, ma'am, Dutchy's taken three rounds in his Kevlar, he's unconscious, we'll need Swain as soon as we get back. Bird says his airway seems fine and there's no sign that the rounds penetrated the vest."

"Roger that, Sierra-82 did you copy?" Elena asked, her stomach fluttering with nerves at their Bosun's condition.

"Charlie-82, we copy, we're approaching Hammersley now, Buffer and the XO have been instructed to remain with us for the time being."

"Understood." Turning to the bridge crew Elena announced, "I'm going to the deck to meet them."

...

Swain was first aboard from the RHIB, quickly followed by Charge and Buffer, who looked like a drowned rat.

"Charge, find Buffer and his crew mate some dry clothes," she instructed, earning a small grateful smile from the Petty Officer before they moved inside. "RO, when you've returned your gear, standby to contact Darwin's doctor if Swain needs it and show Darwin's crew to the junior sailor's mess."

"Yes ma'am," the Comms officer acknowledged before leading the Darwin RHIB crew into the ship.

Swain stood at her side as they watched the last 2 RHIBs arrive and unload, Bird was up the steps first, "he's still unconscious, his breathing isn't good." Her panic was evidence that she felt out of her depth in her still relatively new role as the ship's back up medic.

2-dads and Spider emerged carrying Dutchy and they were grateful to lay him down on the stretcher Buck had just arrived with. Swain cast a very quick look over him and ordered them straight to the ward room. Elena followed, but waited in the doorway to allow Swain and Bird space to work.

...

After a few minutes Charge and Buffer joined Elena as she stood watch. "How is he?" asked Charge, trying to peer in the half open door.

"Swain's still examining him. He took 3 rounds centre of his Kevlar, the extra plates stopped them going right through, but there's a risk of internal injury or broken ribs."

"Is he conscious?" asked Buffer.

"He's coming around, he took in a lungful of water which made him throw up, but we'll know more in a little while. Why don't you go and get a brew, I'll be along to speak to everyone soon."

Swain stuck his head out of the room and motioned to Elena. "He's tough, I want to keep him here for a bit for observation, but I'd say he's lucky. The seawater has irritated his lungs so he'll have a bit of a cough for a few hours, the ribs will be sore, but there's no sign of any breaks and somehow the bullets missed all vital organs."

"That's good news," breathed Charge. "Shall I tell the others?"

Elena and Swain both nodded their agreement and the two sailors wandered away. "Charge, when you've done that can you go up and take the bridge?" she called after him.

Swain looked at her for a few seconds. "He wants to talk to you."

"I've got a few choice words for him too. It might be better if Bird went to get refreshments for our guests, but I know you'll want to stay."

"Actually ma'am I need to get rid of my gear, so if you can stay until I get back it would be good. I'll bring him some dry clothes too."

Swain ducked back into the room and told Bird the plan as Elena entered and waited to the side until they had left.

...

Dutchy held his hand over his bare and aching chest as he sat up the minute Swain left the room. He had a good idea what she would be thinking and the last thing he wanted to show her was that it actually hurt a lot more than he was letting on or that it had done any significant damage.

He watched as she leaned against the tiny kitchen unit by the door and folded her arms; he was aware her eyes were focused on him, making her own assessment of his well being even if he was too focused on staying upright to look at her. "I'm okay," he answered simply, slowly pushing himself to his feet.

"I don't think you're supposed to be up yet, Swain wants you to stay here for a while," she answered as he was forced to rest his hand on the table for support when a sharp pain made it hard to breathe, followed by a violent coughing fit. "I think he's right, you can barely stand up."

He looked over and gave her a hard stare, "I'm fine; we need to work out what to do about that mother ship." Pushing up from the table he turned to face her and stepped forward, closing the gap between them, but she never moved.

"Yeah, you're so fine you're grating your teeth so you can hide how much pain you're in. Don't forget I've already been there this trip. Did Swain give you anything for it?" He hated that she was so observant and that she was staring him down, but he still refused to give in.

"It's nothing I can't handle."

"Bullshit, I don't know why you think you have to put on this macho facade, but it's not working. I can see where you were hit, because in case it's escaped your notice there's the beginnings of a massive bruise. When Swain does release you, don't even think about trying that boarding again, you're on light duties," he flinched at her commanding tone.

"Come on, light duties? Are you serious?" he exclaimed, he'd expected certain reactions to what happened but not that one. "Elena, I'm fine, the Kevlar stopped any real damage, I'll get a shower and dry clothes and be good to go."

"No, you won't and I'm not afraid to make it an order for you to stay here," she threatened.

He kept his eyes fixed on her, just as hers were on him, each waiting for the other to concede. "What can I do to convince you?" When she didn't answer he took a deep breath and grimaced at the pain it caused, while fighting to suppress another coughing fit and hoping she didn't notice. "I know what happened to Niko, I'm guessing after that boarding attempt it's what's on your mind now, but honestly, I'm fine."

"You're thinking this is about Niko?" She asked a startled look in her eyes.

"Isn't it?"

"No, this is about a boarding that got way out of control and nearly left one RHIB crew- What damn fool stunt do you think you were pulling driving the RHIB at a rocket propelled grenade? You put your entire team at risk, you should have seen it coming after the attempt on the Darwin boat and pulled back, but no you obviously think you're invincible and went charging in anyway." He stepped back and leant against the table as she vented at him, her arms flailing to emphasise her point.

For a moment he tried to look contrite, but he couldn't hold it long and eventually smiled, "so you do care about me, I was beginning to wonder."

"No more than anyone else on this ship," she snapped vehemently, but without meeting his gaze.

"You're lying, if you weren't you'd look at me."

She looked up, he'd always found her eyes quite expressive, revealing her inner feelings, but this time he couldn't pick that up. "Whatever my personal thoughts might have been right now I'm mad at you on a professional level for that stupid stunt. While you're on light duties you can make your first priority writing up an incident report for me to send to NAVCOM."

She turned to the door and started to open it, he quickly stepped over and pushed it closed, cornering her and taking her hand, he rested it over his heart which had started to pound at the sudden exertion and pain that had swept across his ribs. "Feel that," he instructed, holding her hand in place and staring into her eyes. "The last thing I remember before I blacked out is your voice on the radio, to everyone else it sounded like a command, to me you sounded terrified, now tell me this isn't about me or Niko."

"You think too highly of yourself, I'm surprised you remember anything after being hit," she pulled her hand away and rested it on the door handle. "Swain wanted you to rest and I suggest you do." Her tone was clipped as she tugged at the door to open it. This time he didn't stop her.

As she stepped into the hallway she met Swain returning from his other tasks. "Everything alright ma'am?"

"He's insisting he's fine to go back to work."

"Sounds like Dutchy, nothing keeps him down for long. You should ask him about pursuing gold smugglers after getting injured on a snorkelling trip."

"Well I don't know what he's used to getting away with, but it's not happening with me. If you feel he's fully fit for duty that's fine, but if you have the slightest doubt discuss it with me first. I'm not prepared to have someone on a boarding party who can barely breath when they move because of the pain."

"Roger ma'am."

"I'd better go check in with Lt Gray and Buffer and report to NAVCOM. If you need me I'll be in the ship's office or my cabin." She informed Swain and headed down the corridor to the junior sailor's mess where everyone had gathered for the moment.

….

Buffer looked up as she entered the room. "Ma'am?"

"How's Dutchy?" 2-dads asked, for once taking things seriously and not cracking jokes.

"He's going to be fine. Charge gave you the details; Swain just wants to keep him under observation a bit longer." Having addressed the subject on everyone's minds first she looked at Buffer, "I'm just going to get a sitrep from Charge and then I think we should find your XO and discuss the situation."

"The X is with RO talking to our CO, he'll meet us in the ship's office in 10 minutes," Buffer replied.

"Good, Bird, can you arrange a brew for Swain and Dutchy," Elena instructed before leaving.

* * *

_All I need to do now is actually get them aboard this mother ship and then they can go home. I've got several future chapters already written so there should be quick updates.  
_


	19. Reflections

_Happy reading ...  
_

**Part 19 – Reflection**

Elena sat in her cabin a few hours later staring at her computer. She'd spoken to NAVCOM and was waiting for an answer to a request for direct fire on the ship in order to provide a distraction and allow them to board. As far as she knew Dutchy was still confined to the ward room with Swain and Charge had taken over on the bridge, supervising the tracking of the mother ship as both naval vessels remained just over the horizon shadowing its course, but within sight of each other.

The crew were mostly either sleeping or on watch; a good thing they were getting some rest, because if the plan to attempt another boarding was approved in Canberra, they would be up half the night again. Elena had forced herself to eat something for dinner and had drunk so many cups of coffee she felt like she was swimming in it. She was exhausted; her residual anger at Duchy's stunt was fading as flashbacks ran through her mind, alternating between the sailor and an SAS captain; her mind taking her back to the description of how Niko died. Until now she'd been able to avoid thinking of that night, but the way things had happened on the boarding almost fit what she had been told about the ambush in Afghanistan.

A knock at the door drew her focus back to the present and she wiped away the tears which had been threatening to consume her for the last hour. "Come in."

Swain opened the door enough to put his head inside as she looked around. "Swain, come in, how's Dutchy?" she asked automatically, brushing the stray tears from her face and rubbing her eyes at the same time.

"He's fine ma'am," the ship's medic informed her but didn't continue. Instead he stopped for a moment and looked at her, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's just been a long day," she answered quietly, rubbing her eyes again. Swain entered and closed the door and she indicated he should sit down in the spare chair next to her desk.

"It has," he looked at her again, curiosity playing on his face. "He's going to be alright." He confirmed again in case she hadn't taken it in the first time. "I know you haven't seen active service in a while, and to end up with a team in the middle of a fire fight can't be easy-" he began.

"No, it isn't, but that isn't my problem. It's personal, ...family stuff, ... something that happened about 18 months ago. I've been on shore assignments ever since, I'm not really supposed to be here. I thought I'd dealt with it, ... Maybe I haven't done as well as I thought. ... Maybe it's that the circumstances today just had some resemblance to another event," she confessed cryptically.

"Have you talked to someone; I could give you details of a counsellor in Cairns," he offered. She shook her head.

"Thank you, but I've got someone in Canberra on the end of a phone." Elena looked at the photo on her computer and closed the programme down, turning her attention to Swain. "I'm sorry, you came to tell me something?" she prodded, hoping he would leave the other subject alone.

"I've just repeated all the tests on Dutchy and conferred with the doctor on Darwin, I'm going to pass him fit for duty."

"Fully fit or light duties?" Elena asked, wanting to be clear what rules to lay down.

"Fully fit. There's no residual crackling from the water he inhaled, his ribs are bruised and will be sore for a few days, but he says the pain is under control with paracetamol." Swain obviously picked up her sceptical look. "I know he pushes it sometimes, and I've seen him in a worse state than he is right now and still complete a mission. He wants that ship as badly as everyone else and to be honest, we could use his experience."

"Alright, but I'm going to make some changes to the RHIB crews, I'm not happy that hell be the first one boarding that ship. If he takes another round in the Kevlar vest where he's already vulnerable it could incapacitate him."

"I won't argue with you there." Swain agreed.

"Let me think about it for a bit and I'll come and talk to him."

"If we're boarding again in a few hours, I'm going to turn in for an hour before I relieve Charge."

"Thank you." Swain left her cabin closing the door behind him and Elena sat staring at a piece of paper with a list of the RHIB Crews from the earlier boarding.

...

Dutchy ventured into the senior sailors mess armed with a sandwich and coffee. He was still feeling sore if he moved awkwardly, but at least he'd stopped the violent coughing, and he was starving, but Swain hadn't let him eat until now and then insisted on something light. He was surprised to find Buffer in there laying out on the bench a cup of coffee rested on his stomach. The Petty Officer from the other ship opened his eyes and raised his head at the door opening, then sat up, placing the cup on the table.

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here," Dutchy greeted, preparing to leave again.

"Nah, it's okay mate come in. I'm just taking 5 minutes," Buffer responded. "How are you feeling now? I heard Swain confined you to sick bay."

"Him and the CO," Dutchy grumbled, sitting down and taking a large bite from his sandwich.

"Yeah, well you did take three rounds and swallow half the ocean," Buffer responded with a slight smile.

"I've done worse and still been back out there," the Hammersley Buffer grumbled again.

"And I'm guessing if it was just Swain you'd have talked him into letting you out the minute you came round. Your CO's got the measure of this crew pretty quick, even seems to have reined in 2-dads antics a bit. How's everyone taking the change in command?"

"She's similar to Lt-Cdr McGregor in a lot of ways," Dutchy answered, trying not to think too much about the woman who seemed to constantly be on his mind. "How are you? They told me you went overboard too."

"I'm good, a couple of us got thrown out after dodging the rocket, but I had a more interesting encounter when I got back, one of your seaman; think her name's Wolfy, stopped me in the hallway and gave me this nice fluffy towel and offered to help dry me off and check my injuries," Buffer answered rubbing his hand over his face at the memory. "Wish I'd had a camera to get a snap of the look on Charge's face. I don't know what went through his mind at first, but when he came down to earth, he sent her packing. Shame really, it's a while since a woman made me an offer like that."

Dutchy laughed, "and all I got was orders to stay in bed from Swain."

This time it was Buffer's turn to laugh, "I'm sure you get plenty of women that would be happy to oblige when you're on shore leave." Dutchy didn't answer and focused on munching on his sandwich, so Buffer continued his train of thought, "What about that woman in Lockhart River, when we were there after the storm? What was it she asked you to rescue for her, just so she could try and get you alone? Oh, yeah, her grandmother's ashes from some dark corner of her house that was nearly washed away."

"I don't think she appreciated it when I sent Spider and 2-dads," Dutchy answered finishing the last of his sandwich and swallowing a mouthful of coffee. "Is the CO on the bridge?"

"Nah, my XO took over, gave her and Charge a chance to get some rest. She looked like she could use it. Just a word of warning, Swain said something about what happened this afternoon triggered some bad family memories, she didn't go into details with him, but she was pretty upset."

"I know, her husband was killed in a fire-fight in Afghanistan. She hasn't told anyone, I found out by accident. She's been on a shore posting since it happened." He was a little wary about saying anything, but felt if the other guy knew a little more it might actually help them in the long run.

"That's rough, no wonder she's feeling a little off this evening. You think she's still capable of leading this mission?"

Dutchy looked at his half empty mug then took a mouthful to give himself time to think. "I do," he answered simply then stood up. "I'd better catch up on what's been happening, before we need to get back out there," he added indicating the general direction of the mother ship.

"Me too, I'll relieve the X for an hour give you time to get back up to speed," Buffer commented, also standing.

Buffer headed to the bridge while Dutchy stopped at the door to the CO's cabin and knocked.

…..

He tapped softly when the first one got no response, this time he heard the brief acknowledgement and instruction to enter.

She moved from her desk as he opened the door. He got the feeling she knew who it was without looking but it was clear she wasn't ready to speak first.

"Hey, I hear you're having a rough time," he commented pushing the door closed and waiting for her to turn around and greet him. He knew what he expected to see in her eyes, he'd got a brief glimpse of it earlier in the ward room and now if she had been alone for any length of time he guessed the time for reflection would make everything weigh on her mind.

"I'm fine thank you Petty Officer Mulholland. I understand from Swain you're feeling better and wish to resume full duty."

Her official tone and the glare she gave him caught him off guard momentarily, making him react without thinking, he was worried about her and she'd just brushed him off, "so that's how it's going to be?"

"What do you expect? I have a ship full of sailors to look out for as well as two RHIB teams from Darwin. I've received permission from NAVCOM to use disabling fire, I'm about to let everyone know." She barely paused between the two statements letting him know that she was clearly dropping her professional cloak in place and the personal stuff was off limits, but he wasn't prepared to let it go so easily.

"And Niko?" he asked gently, still believing that the afternoons events would have made her reflect on Afghanistan.

"Don't push it. I told you this has nothing to do with him or you, I've got a ship to run and if you don't want to support me in that then I'll remove your additional responsibilities," she shot down any attempt he was trying to make to have her open up and talk; in a way he couldn't blame her, it had taken him months to talk to anyone about the Gulf. But he also knew that not discussing it caused more issues, something he'd learnt the hard way.

"I just want you to be honest with me, what happened this afternoon-" he started, hoping to say something she would accept, but he'd barely opened his mouth.

"No, you're not going to do this, not now, I'm not going to discuss it any more, I've got work to do and so have you if you're as fit as you claim to be."

"Elena, please-"

"No, we've had this discussion before, I am not going to talk about Niko here. I can't, let's get this bloody FFV and go home," she snapped, her eyes showing her determination. "And while we're on board I'd prefer it if you addressed me appropriately."

"Yes ma'am," he growled, throwing in a salute for good measure.

They stared at each other for a moment then he yanked open the door and stomped out. Elena hurried to the door and called after him, "Petty Officer Mulholland, cut the attitude, I need your mind on what you are doing out there, you'll have sailors looking to you for guidance you cannot afford to be distracted."

He wasn't sure if she was saying it for his benefit or her own, but he figured it was her defence mechanism, the only way to stop herself from breaking down and dealing with what was going through her mind. If it's what she needed to do he'd accept it, but he wasn't happy about it, he wanted her to know he could understand, that she didn't have to do it all alone.

…..

An hour later the Hammersley senior sailors and the Darwin representatives were again gathered in the ship's office with Elena, going over the final deployment plan. Charge looked between his CO and Dutchy and wondered what had happened this time to cause the ultra professional mood that seemed to have descended between them. There had been times when he had caught a look between them that seemed to speak volumes, then other times when they would barely talk to each other. He figured it was because they were both strong willed and at times their ideas clashed. Dutchy had stepped up into the XO's shoes well, but now with the tension between him and the CO again it would be useful to have that extra link in the chain of command.

"Actually, I've been thinking, I may have an idea," Dutchy added as they discussed a particular manoeuvre.

Charge noticed the fixed look he gave Elena as if challenging her to argue with him, but she never said anything, just nodded her agreement for him to continue. As he outlined the plan everyone listened. By the end they had a plan everyone was happy with and a time-line in which to carry it out. As the team left the office Charge tapped Swain's shoulder and the ship's medic hung back a moment.

"What's up Charge?"

"The boss and Dutchy, they on the outs again?" Charge asked, seeking some sort of clarification that the mission wasn't going to run aground if there was a disagreement down the line.

"I don't think so, she wasn't happy with the stunt he pulled this afternoon, but she's dealt with that," Swain thought back to the discussion in her cabin earlier, he decided not to say anything about the rest of their conversation, it was something he felt she confided in him and was not for general consumption. "I think he expected a little more sympathy than what she gave him," he added to explain Dutchy's reaction.

"Now that I can believe," chuckled Charge, his fears assuaged enough to continue with his duties. "I'd better go check over the engines in case the boss decides to run them full speed again, they held last time, but there's a lot of debris still in these waters from the last storm so we need to be careful."

* * *

_I promise the boarding is coming next chapter, it was supposed to be this one, but I needed to give them time to reflect a little and re-plan._ _Buffer and the towel incident had to be included after a discussion on another site._


	20. Homeward Bound

_I finally got there, here is the final boarding and they can now head home. Some of the comments are based on comments received on the SP site.  
_

**Part 20 – Homeward Bound**

Elena watched the RHIBs deploy as she stood on the fly bridge of Hammersley. Dutchy as she guessed had not been happy when she told him he wasn't going to be first aboard the mother ship. Buffer was going to take that role with 2-dads and Spider, only then would Dutchy be allowed to board. He had tried to argue, but she had remained firm and threatened him with not going at all if he didn't agree. He finally relented, like she knew he would, the risk of being kept behind bothering him more than the order not to board first.

Soon it was too dark for the RHIBs to be visible, but she could still just make out the drone of the engines as they powered towards their rendezvous point. Before returning to her chair on the bridge she looked up at the sky, fortunately things were working in their favour and the moon was hidden by a degree of cloud cover, nothing too threatening, just enough to keep things more difficult to see in the dark, which would work nicely to their advantage. Coast Watch had last flown over an hour before and reported no other FFVs in the area and the mother ship was definitely making for international waters, Darwin had moved off after the early evening briefing to sit and wait just off the line while two RHIBs set a trap, hoping for a stealth approach and silent boarding before anyone on board knew what had happened. As soon as the RHIB crews began boarding, Hammersley would move in closer to give cover fire and distract them allowing Darwin to slip in behind them. That was the plan, but as with all things, nothing was ever guaranteed.

Losing track of the RHIB engines finally she turned and entered the bridge.

…..

Dutchy took up his usual spot next to the driver with Buffer poised on the opposite flank as the boat raced to their designated spot. He risked a brief glance over his shoulder at Hammersley as they pulled away, he could see her on the fly bridge, watching them. He wished he could have a normal conversation with her. None of their encounters could be regarded as normal. No doubt things had been complicated by the broken ankle suffered by the XO requiring his medevac, and his own additional responsibilities. Being alone with her in the ward room earlier had set him wondering if it was all in his head, if he was the only one who wanted to pursue things. He rested his hand briefly over his heart where her hand had been earlier, he could still feel the sensation of her warm hand as he pressed it against him. He detected movement to his right and glanced at Buffer who gave him a look as if to ask if he was alright. Now was not the time to deeply analyse his life and what the future may hold. He tipped his head in acknowledgement and turned to concentrate on the expanse of sea ahead of them.

After thinking through the plan one more time, he glanced over the crew with them, each facing forward looking for their target while lost in their own thoughts.

The two RHIBs slowed and eventually stopped, their engines left idling as the next part of the plan was put into place.

…..

Buck watched on radar as the two blips labelled Thunder and Demon slowly separated, leaving a path for the mother ship to pass between them. Elena was poised at his shoulder also watching, he glanced up and noticed the radio grasped firmly in her hand, he wondered what RO would think if he was there and saw her abusing his equipment. He smiled at her nervously and turned back to the radar, the mother ship was approaching the RHIBs almost dead centre of their current positions. He hoped this would work. He had been told that they had used this tactic to good effect once before, stringing a line between the two RHIBs which when snagged by the ship would silently pull the boats alongside, allowing more of a stealth opportunity to board. He hoped this time it would work as well, he wasn't sure how much more tension the crew could take if there was another fire fight like the afternoon before.

The minutes slowly ticked by as the ship seemed to crawl towards the waiting ambush. Elena and Buck both had their eyes fixed on the radar blips waiting for the RHIBs to begin their move towards the hull.

"Bravo-82, this is Charlie-82, confirm your line is good and no other ships in range, you're good to go, estimate 5 minutes to intercept," Elena informed the waiting crews.

"Acknowledged Charlie-82," Dutchy's voice was assertive but quiet as he acknowledged the information.

…..

The line had been picked up and the RHIBs slowly edged towards the sides of the ship as it ploughed forwards towards international waters. Quietly the teams waited, observing the minimal activity on deck, poised to raise the ladder that would aid their assault on the high sides. As Thunder closed on the hull of the mother ship Dutchy waved the instruction to raise the ladder and once it was in place the four man team quickly climbed aboard and took up defensive positions; across the bow they could see the other team also climbing aboard.

The sound of the engines firing up from the RHIBs drew the attention of the lookout a few feet forward of their position. He was quickly subdued by 2-dads and Buffer as the team slowly made their way aft. Another lookout on the fly bridge must have seen them because for the next few minutes they were all pinned down behind various crates and structures as an exchange of gunfire was heard. Dutchy saw one man with the RPG positioning himself to fire upon them and surged forward to intercept before the other man was able to stand his ground and take aim, both landing heavily on the deck, but the fisherman at close quarters was no match for the Navy man and was quickly restrained and the weapon confiscated.

The two remaining RHIB crews on hearing the gunfire used the moment to enter the fray. With the ship's crew now focused on the invaders already aboard, it was easy for them to slip in behind the ship and also board. The two larger Naval ships also moved in as support just off the stern, but they had no need to give covering fire.

In less than 10 minutes it was all over, bar searching the boat. The Navy had detained 13 fishermen, impounded the cache of weapons they had been threatened with earlier and Buffer and Dutchy were issuing orders to the teams to begin a search of the ship for more weapons and other crew that may be in hiding, but essentially it was over and there were no Australian casualties this time around.

By daylight the ship had been seized, the fishermen split between the two Naval vessels and comfortably accommodated where they could do no further damage, left to await their fate at the hands of the Federal Police back ashore, not to mention what the Fisheries people might want to do with them.

Having taken photographic and video evidence the very large catch of live fish would be returned in batches to the sea over the following day as the ship was escorted to Cairns.

…..

With the steaming party set up and the mother ship now making its towards Cairns the mood lightened a lot and although they were still alert there was an opportunity for the old Hammersley gang to catch up a little. Spider had taken the wheel allowing Buffer to stroll out on deck and take in the early morning as the sun rose, 2-dads was already out there, supposedly on look-out duty.

"You're an ape 2-dads," Buffer opened as he joined the younger man at the bow of the ship.

"You know me always up for a little monkey business, but what are you talking about?" 2-dads greeted jovially, but with a little confusion.

"You think I don't hear things?" Buffer responded, fixing him with a glare.

"What things Buff?" grinned 2-dads, not even the slightest bit intimidated by the ship's previous bosun.

"I thought you would have learnt your lesson by now, I hear you've been spreading rumours around the ship about my replacement."

"Yeah, for some reason this woman has really got under his skin, I've not seen him so on edge about any of the women he's picked up," 2-dads recounted merrily, only to earn a scowl from the older sailor.

"Doesn't that tell you something?" he growled.

2-dads thought for a second then shook his head and grinned madly, "nope."

"2-dads, you're an idiot. Usually if a guy is that wound up over a woman it means she's important to him. Have you ever stopped to think that it could have been his sister or something?" Buffer added, his tone more serious, trying to open up 2-dads eyes and make him see a different side to things.

"Nope, never thought that at all, and if it was he would have said, trust me he's really got something going for this chick."

"Then don't you think the right thing to do is to keep quiet and leave him alone?"

"And miss all the fun?" 2-dads still hadn't learnt his lesson and Buffer decided now was the right time to add his two-pennyworth.

"Didn't Commander Flynn threaten you with a Captain's table over the last time you spread rumours about your colleagues?"

"That's all they are though Buff, threats, they won't charge me, I'm too much fun to have around," he answered cheekily, giving the bosun a wide smile in the process.

Spider stuck his head out of the wheel house, "Buff, Hammersley on the radio, their engines are playing up again so they're lagging behind a little, they want us to carry on to Cairns."

"Roger that, tell them we'll see them in port." Spider ducked back into the wheel house and silence fell between the sailors on deck.

….

Elena arrived on the bridge with a tray of drinks for those on watch, a gesture that was obviously appreciated as the mugs disappeared almost before she could put the tray down. She dropped into the captain's chair, acknowledging the passing of command as she did so. It was a nice bright day out and all the tension seemed to have lifted now that things with the mother ship had been resolved and they were heading for home port. The engine problem Charge had detected an hour earlier was nothing more than an anomaly, but they had agreed that a few extra hours to get home was worth it rather than pushing the pace and possibly fouling up something drastically and leaving them stranded. They were coasting along and everyone was beginning to sense the shore leave they'd be granted when they returned.

"Everything okay?" a voice at her side asked quietly.

She glanced up at the sailor currently at the helm and smiled. "Everything's fine. Take us home Dutchy."

"I'd be glad to boss," he answered returning her smile, then he leaned over and whispered, "then we can finally have that conversation you've promised me."

Elena felt a rush of warmth to her cheeks and quickly raised her hand to cover it as she glanced over her right shoulder to see if anyone else heard. A chuckle at her side made her look back. "They're too focused on shore leave to pay attention. … I know this great little place up the coast no tourists-"

"and no sailors if I remember," she replied leaning slightly towards him as if to look at the directional instruments on the panel nearby. "We'll discuss it when we get home tomorrow."

"Ma'am, urgent call for you being patched through from NAVCOM," RO announced, making Elena look around.

"Did they say what about?"

"No Ma'am, Commander Flynn suggests you may want to take it in your cabin." RO replied. Elena looked from him to Dutchy a sinking feeling growing in her stomach.

"Fine, put it through. Dutchy you have the ship," she acknowledged rising from her chair and moving to the stairs as her orders were confirmed, except that she never heard them.

….

It was sometime later when Swain relieved Dutchy at the helm and he was able to leave the bridge. No one had seen Elena since she had taken the urgent call from NAVCOM, and the fact that it was suggested she take it alone didn't sound good. He was about to go down the stairs to find her when he met her coming up, she never met his eye line so he decided on the direct approach.

"Anything important ma'am?" he asked, stepping back and letting her onto the bridge.

"A message from home, nothing to concern anyone here," she answered swiftly. He watched her for a moment and unable to detect her mood he wondered if the news was good or bad. It was unlikely to be good news if the message came from NAVCOM and she was advised to take the call alone. He hoped it wasn't bad news about her father, but unless he could see her eyes or she told him he would be left to guess, her CO shield was firmly in place, blocking out any personal issues once again.

As the ship edged closer to home during the afternoon he took every opportunity to watch her, but she showed no signs of whatever personal crisis might be going on internally, she gave everyone the air of the cool, in control CO.

…..

It was after dinner before they were alone for more than a few seconds as they worked on reports in the ships office. After sitting in silence for the better part of an hour, except for the odd exchange relating to ship's business, he noted her pulling another folder towards herself and opening it up.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked after agonising over it for several minutes.

"You're going to ask anyway," she sighed. "The message from NAVCOM still bothers you?"

"You never mentioned it again, is everything alright at home? … your father?" he asked cautiously.

"Is fine. There is something I have to do when we get back though and it will have an effect on what happens tomorrow, but until I get ashore I won't know more."

"Are you deliberately being evasive?" he asked, fixing her with a firm stare.

"Dutchy, please, we're nearly home, I promise we'll talk, but it just might be a while before I get the chance."

"How long is a while?"

"I'll know more tomorrow, please, I need some time to work out a few things," she pleaded.

"Fine," he conceded, wondering what besides her history with Niko could be so bad she needed to work stuff out. He looked over the pile of files she still had to work through then added his completed ones to her action heap and she looked at them.

"Thanks, I thought I was nearly done," she said sarcastically earning a grin from him.

"You said you wanted all the reports before the end of watch, anyone would think you want to be off the boat," he prodded lightly.

"I did and I do, but not for the reasons you think. "

"I'm hurt ma'am, I thought we had plans," he tried pulling a serious face as he rested his elbows on the table and leant forward to get closer to her. "Dinner and a walk along the beach before you go on vacation," he suggested, keeping his voice low.

"Sorry, not this time, but you can get Bird to bring me some coffee on your way out," she answered leaning back from the file she was reading.

"I get it, tomorrow waits until we're off this ship. I promise I won't ask again until we're both ashore," he agreed finally then stood up. "Haven't you learnt yet not to trust Bird's coffee skills? I'll make a fresh brew; you look like you're going to be there all night."

"I hope not, I need some sleep before I get back to Cairns because I have this feeling that I might not get much tomorrow night," he felt his stomach flutter at the smile she gave him, but why did he feel like it was a double edged sword?

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed having a bumper set of chapters. Hope to keep up better with posting to SP site now the assignment is over and internet & pc fixed. Please leave me some feedback._

_SeaKat  
_


	21. An Invitation

_They've finally arrived home….. _

**Part 21 – An Invitation**

Elena packed the last of her things into her bag and glanced around the room which had been home for the last 2 weeks. The final thing she slotted in her bag was the photo which had adorned her notice board during the patrol. It had been a successful mission, if challenging, exhausting and frustrating in various measures, but in the end worthwhile. A few minutes later she stepped out onto the boat deck and was met by the ship's normal CO.

"Kate McGregor, nice to finally meet you." Kate greeted, thrusting her hand forward as Elena dropped her bag at her feet and shook the other woman's hand and they exchanged salutes.

"Elena Larkin, you have a good crew Lt Commander. It's been a pleasure to work with them." Kate beamed widely; she was immensely proud of her crew for doing their best. She noted Dutchy trying to skirt the ship and disembark.

"Dutchy, please see that Lt-Cdr Larkin's bag reaches her car while we report to NAVCOM."

"Yes Boss," he answered immediately and stooped slightly to grab the bag at Elena's feet, at the same time accepting her car keys before saluting both women and leaving the ship.

Kate and Elena turned towards the gangplank and began walking up the dock towards NAVCOM. Once they had left the ship behind, Kate glanced at Elena, "so how did you get on?"

"Fine, they're a good team."

"So you had no issues with anyone?"

"That sounds like you expected me to." Elena retorted, a smile crossing her face.

"No, it's just that some of them can take a while to get to know," Kate answered, matching Elena's smile.

Elena stopped for a split second then picked up the pace again, half turning to Kate knowingly, "you mean RO? How was it your X described him? Technically sound, but socially impossible. It's a good description."

Kate laughed, "I'll have to remember that. ... how were the rest of the crew?"

"They're a good team, it's been an honour serving with a crew that work together so well. I know your XO is new but everyone respects him and he's got the measure of them, well at least it appeared so in the short time we worked together."

"Good to hear, I hear you had Seaman Webb back on board did him and 2-dads get into trouble?" she asked lightly.

"Nothing I couldn't handle. 2-dads even on his own doesn't seem to be phased by Navy discipline, I get that he's still young and immature, but sometimes he pushes things a little far."

"So what did he get up to this time?" Kate asked, sounding like it was nothing new.

Elena paused for a moment, debating whether to say anything, but she probably needed to say something now she had opened the subject, "stirring rumours about Dutchy."

"What rumours?" questioned Kate, intrigued by the comment.

"I gather your buffer has a reputation with women and 2-dads wouldn't let him off the hook over an encounter the night before we sailed," Elena answered hoping the other woman didn't dig too much further on the subject.

"I don't think you'll stop either of them on that point. 2-dads loves to stir gossip and I've been on the receiving end myself before, so I know what it's like. Dutchy's reputation with the ladies has only increased in recent patrols, so it's hardly surprising to hear the two talked of in the same sentence. What about you, how did you find working on a Patrol Boat?" Kate asked, deflecting further conversation from either of her sailors much to Elena's relief.

"The first few days were a little hairy with the storm, but we made it through; saved a few locals who were supporting the rescue effort and got themselves into trouble with their local craft." Elena answered, watching the ship's bosun heading towards the parking lot. "It was great being back at sea but don't worry Lt Commander I'm not after your job. Right now a desk job suits me just fine."

"It's Kate and I hear you're new in town and didn't even get a chance to find accommodation."

"Something like that. I'm going to go and report in then head off and find a hotel for the night, the ship's all yours again."

"Thank you."

They climbed the steps and entered the air-conditioned offices of NAVCOM as Elena's phone beeped. She pulled it from her pocket and checked the message, it made her smile.

"Good news?" Kate asked, with a curious look.

"Maybe; it's an invitation ... there's someone I need to talk to before I go up to my father's tomorrow."

"Well let's go see Commander White and get you signed off," suggested Kate.

...

Elena pulled up at the kerb and looked at the single storey house. She sat for a moment before getting out and approaching the door. She paused again before raising her hand to knock, wondering if she was making the right move.

However, before she could knock the door opened and her eyes met those of the occupant. "Hi, ... I didn't even knock yet," she greeted in surprise.

"I know, I was waiting." He stepped back and gestured for her to enter.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to come," she answered but remained on the step. "I can't stay," she added glancing back at her car, before turning her attention to him again. "I got your message." With the patrol finished and them back on land, her days as his Commanding Officer were over, so there was nothing wrong with her being there, but something about it felt strange and awkward. They both knew they needed to talk, to clear the air.

"You should come in, we can talk," he offered again and she shook her head, he frowned wondering what was stopping her; images flashed through his mind of the last time she had been there; they had both been soaking wet and he had been so distracted by holding her shivering body close to his and locking his lips on hers that he had taken ages to unlock the door.

"Can we talk here?" she asked casting another furtive glance at the car.

"You changed your car," he noticed following her glance.

"It's temporary; I needed a bigger car for a few weeks. It's a rental." She stuck her hands in the pocket of her jacket as he seemed to take the initiative first and started talking; only he went back to the beginning.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, he didn't need to elaborate, she knew what he was referring to.

"Would it have made a difference?"

"Not to me," he answered, accepting her wish to remain outside and sitting on the steps in order to keep some distance between them, when he wanted anything but. "It would have been good to know that you were going to be my CO this rotation."

Elena took a breath, she'd already told him what happened, but it seemed like they were going to go over already covered ground. She needed to make him understand she hadn't known what was in store when she'd left him that morning. She sat on the step next to him, "I didn't know when I left here that morning after the phone call; all I knew was my leave was cancelled, I didn't know until I reported to NAVCOM that I was even going to command a ship. I had no idea you were part of the crew until Mike Flynn mentioned your name once I was on board, why do you think I asked to see you before we sailed?"

"Could have been any one of a dozen things," he answered haughtily.

"Would you rather I was waiting on the boat deck for you while they were loading the supplies?" He could hear the lighter tone in her voice and knew it was an attempt to lighten the mood between them, but she was wrong, he remained closed off and pensive. She obviously expected a different response because her next words really got his attention, "this is a bad idea ... The whole thing was a bad idea. I'm going to go; I've got a long drive." She stood up to leave, then stopped and turned back to face him. "Dylan I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but for one night I just wanted to be normal, I pretty much out-ranked everyone in the bar that night and I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for meeting Megan. ... I'd hoped you weren't still going to be mad at me, I was wrong." He stared at her for a minute wondering what he could possibly say at this stage that would make a difference. She didn't seem to want to prolong their relationship, such as it was and when he didn't respond she continued, "this was a mistake, it should never have happened, I'm going to go." She turned and crossed the lawn towards her car, this time not intending to stop.

He watched as she got further away and then the realisation dawned, if he didn't do something she was walking out of his life and he concluded he wasn't ready for her to do that, and he found himself already on his feet and following her before he spoke, "Elena wait, I'm sorry." His long strides reached her quickly and he rested a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. "I'm not mad at you, not anymore, I was surprised, I thought you'd left because of your father, seeing you on the ship- ... I was hoping that when you got back into town we might be able to pick up where we left off, after all you did leave me your number." He smiled down at her while he caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"I don't know; things are different now," she stated simply.

"We're not breaking any rules; you're not my CO anymore. Stay." The smile was replaced by a serious look, his eyes focused on her, unflinching.

"This wasn't supposed to get complicated; I don't normally behave the way I did that night," she sighed, but she never moved.

"Tell me it wasn't fun; tell me you don't want to see what happens next." He murmured lowering his lips to hers and capturing them in a chaste kiss.

Elena pulled back and taking his hand from her face, he noticed the pained expression cross her face. "Elena?"

"I need some time, I'm heading north soon and I'll be gone a couple of weeks, maybe when I come back we can have coffee or something." He could see the desperate look in her eyes and didn't want her to leave when he could see she was so torn up over whatever they had going.

"What something do you have in mind?" he taunted, raising his eyebrows at her, and his lips curling in that unique grin that he saved just for her.

"Let's start with coffee," she answered with a smile of her own.

"Alright we'll do this your way, when are you leaving?"

"Now, I got through with NAVCOM and a few other things I needed to do quicker than I expected so I'm not waiting until tomorrow, hopefully I'll get there before dark."

"Are you alright to go alone?" he asked as they walked the last few steps to her car.

"It's only a couple of hours, I'll be fine." She stopped next to the car and he opened the door for her, his eyes remaining fixed on her, a slight frown across his forehead, making her reach up to smooth her fingers across the lines, "I'll call you when I get there if it will make you happier."

"It would," he answered, cupping the back of her neck, his thumb caressing her neck just under her left ear. The sensation of her heart racing as he grazed her pulse point gave him the courage to take the next step.

Drawing her closer he lowered his lips to hers, he started softly, worried he might scare her off, after all she'd seemed more reluctant to become involved this time, keeping him at arm's length. She was frozen for a few seconds before responding, answering his lips gentle caress. When she didn't pull back and actually responded, the kisses became more fervent and hungry, his arm circled her waist and he pulled her closer as he felt her hand rest against his bicep, until slowly she pushed them apart, but only a few inches until their eyes met, she never attempted to separate them further. He grazed his thumb over her pulse point again and smirked when her eyes closed in response. Still with his arm around her he lowered his lips to her ear.

"You don't fool me ma'am, you know what I can do to you, just remember that while you're gone," he whispered before seizing her lips one last time for a few seconds before letting her go and stepping back. "Drive safely," he uttered crossing his arms over his chest and watching her slowly compose herself before getting in the car.

He was fairly certain if they hadn't stopped that they would be spending the rest of the day behind closed doors, but she'd said she needed time, he didn't want to force her into something she wasn't sure of, but he got the impression it was her mind talking not her heart, not when she melted under the slightest touch from him. He just couldn't let her go without a reminder of the night they'd spent together.

A high pitched squeal and giggling from inside the car drew his attention and he noticed for the first time that a baby seat was strapped in the rear and she was now talking to the tiny figure it held. He didn't get a good view of the infant, but it gave him a good jolt of reality, no wonder she was reluctant to take things further; he watched them for a moment as she talked to the child and perpetuated the laughter. As he stood there transfixed he realised the baby was probably little more than a year old, which would have meant she was pregnant when Niko died. It wasn't just her she was thinking about and why she seemed so hesitant when there were no apparent obstacles. What he couldn't grasp was the fact that she hadn't said anything, in their discussions on the ship, he had teased certain information from her about Niko, but there was still a lot he didn't know about her and her life before him. Now it had hit him head on and made him stop and think, if they pursued a relationship it wouldn't be just her, there was her baby to consider too and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He couldn't even figure out whether it was still a baby or toddler or what the terminology was. Was it fair to her if their relationship ended to put the kid through the trauma? Would she even want him to meet the child, she hadn't mentioned it so far and she made no attempt at introductions now, so what was he to think? Maybe they both needed time.

The drone of her car engine as she pulled away from the kerb drew him out of the shocked stupor which had enveloped him and he watched until she disappeared from view before heading back into his house.

.

* * *

_My daughter has congratulated me as I've made it to the gutter community, I can park my car by the drain and join them for toasted marshmallows on Tuesdays. I've been told to make myself at home because I'm likely to be staying a while! All because of an innocent concept that could have created an alternative, not so innocent image!  
_

_SeaKat_


	22. Dutchy's Mission

_Here's another chapter, hope you like it ..._

._  
_

**Part 22 – Dutchy's Mission**

On the ship's next patrol Kate had been back as CO, but Dutchy found he missed Elena, she hadn't contacted him and the few messages he'd sent her had gone unanswered. He'd agonised for a long time over what to say to her, but the more time that elapsed since their return from the storm clean-up the more he realised he missed having her around, being able to talk to her, even about such mundane things as ship's business. Having Kate back as the CO was certainly easier, they worked as a good team without all the personal stuff getting in the way, but there was still something missing. When he had eventually sent the first message it had taken him over an hour to get the wording right, some of the crew had grumbled about him hogging the computer so long, but in the end he felt it was worth it. He'd talked about what had happened since he'd seen her and that he hoped everything with her family was working out. As much as he wanted to ask about the baby he figured if she wanted him to know she would have told him, he figured waiting another email or two might earn him some points.

After 2 messages received no response he was beginning to wonder if he should have asked about the baby, he didn't even know if it was a boy or girl. Her silence bothered him, probably more than it should and he found himself regularly checking his email and phone and getting more frustrated when the days dragged on and he still heard nothing.

Shore leave had lasted a couple of days and the following 2 weeks at sea had seemed unusually long so Dutchy was pleased to get off the ship after their latest rotation to test the repaired engines and inflow valves. With his tasks finally complete he was able to head off for a few days shore leave and as he left the ship he made his mind up what to do; he'd decided to go and find her. It took a fair amount of his investigative skills and calling in a few favours, but eventually he had what he needed and using the battered car that rarely saw the outside of his garage he headed out of town.

…..

A couple of hours later he drove up in front of the battered homestead and stopped the engine. Getting out slowly he looked around. The place had clearly seen better days and he wondered what else she might be dealing with apart from her father's illness and raising a baby alone while fulfilling naval duties. The more he'd thought about her the more he was starting to think that maybe it was time to take stock of his life and settle down. One night stands were all very well at the time, but they didn't really give him any fulfilment, until the night he'd met her.

There appeared to be little activity around the place, everywhere appeared deserted. He was heading towards the house when he heard a noise in the barn behind him and he turned and walked towards it.

"Hey, 'Scuse me, I'm looking for Elena." He called to the older man leaving the barn pushing a barrow full of manure.

"She's outback, but you might want to think twice about visiting, she's not in a good mood," he replied gruffly.

"I'll take my chances, thanks," Dutchy answered, as the man waved towards the back of the house.

"Down there, then follow around the back of the house, she's in the paddock, don't go in though, she's got her hands full with a psycho stallion."

"Right." He turned and headed in the direction indicated and as the paddock came into view he watched her trying to work with the horse. It was a pretty striking looking animal, the sun shone off its coat as it careered around the ring while she stood in the centre pushing it on, waving a coiled rope towards it. With her attention solely on the horse she didn't notice him approach and lean on the fence railing. After sending the horse around several more times and switching directions she turned her back on it and waited. Dutchy watched, slightly fascinated at what would happen and was transfixed when the horse turned and walked up to her and nudged her shoulder at which point she turned and offered it a treat from her pocket and a pat.

Her concentration was completely on the horse and she still hadn't seen him, so he had the chance to watch her and let his mind wander. He wondered what his parents' ranch would have been like now and if they had kept it, it was all he could do not to join her in the ring and inspect the horse for himself.

Eventually she took the rope in her hand and clipped it to the halter the horse wore and she turned to lead it out of the ring, he moved to open the gate for her and she stopped, clearly surprised by his presence. Neither of them spoke, the horse skittered a little at her side and she rested a hand on its nose to calm it.

"He's a fine looking animal," Dutchy told her, keeping things low key, wondering what was going on with her, she looked okay, if a bit tired, but she hadn't greeted him as he expected.

"He is," she answered warily, her attention taken by the horse for a moment as they were joined by the old man he had seen earlier.

"Elena, do you want me to take him back while you talk business?"

"Thanks Bob, he'll need walking off and hosing down," she informed him handing over the reins and stepping away until they had moved off.

Dutchy stepped towards her and she looked up, "when did you get back?"

"This morning," he answered, holding her gaze, "and before you ask, I was worried about you, you haven't returned any of my messages, what's going on with you?"

"I've had a lot of stuff to deal with, I just needed a break," her tone was edgy and irritated.

"You could've told me that," he replied, trying to get an understanding of where they stood, "I would have understood, I know you're worried about your father, has something happened?"

"No, he's doing okay and for the record I did tell you I needed time. There was no need to come all the way up here to see me."

"Yes, I did, I've tried calling you since we got in range and all I get is voicemail."

"Doesn't that tell you something, that right now I don't want anything to do with you," she snapped.

"Have I done something to upset you? If I have tell me what it is, because right now all I know is you stopped communicating."

"Go home Dylan, there's nothing for you here." She instructed angrily. He rested his hands on his hips and watched as she strode away and entered the house. The look on her face told him there was more going on than just simple non communication, something had happened. Something she wasn't telling him and he guessed the baby he had seen in her car had something to do with it.

He scrubbed his hand over his head then marched towards the house after her, he needed some answers.

…..

Mike entered Maxine's office at NAVCOM. "Maxine, do you have a minute?"

"Yes Mike, take a seat, how's Kate now that the sea trials on the engines are over?"

"She's fine, thank you, we're just pleased you sorted out the new CO of Hammersley finally and I'm back here."

Maxine clasped her hands and leant on the desk. "You know I never thought I'd hear you say you'd be pleased to be tied to a desk, but that's not why you're here?"

"No, it isn't, we have a situation, Lieutenant Gordon, Hammersley's XO is going to have to have an operation on his leg, the break isn't healing properly and they've got to break it again to reset it and he will be off sea duty for at least another 6 weeks. I'm stuck without an XO and there's no one suitably qualified that we can poach and now that the sea trials on the engine repairs are finished they can't sail without one. I was wondering if Lieutenant Commander Larkin might be able to fill in if you can spare her. She knows the ship and the crew now and I know her and Kate hit it off when they met a few weeks back."

Maxine smiled. "It's a bit of a demotion, but I guess I could ask her, tell me how did she get on with the crew really?"

"You must have heard something or you wouldn't ask," Mike commented holding Maxine's gaze. "My godson been telling tales out of school?"

"Are you kidding? Ryan won't tell me a damn thing, says he's not on board to be my personal spy." She answered vehemently, "I met with her after the flood clean-up operation before she started her leave, it was a routine meeting then this morning I had a call from her, she's asked for an urgent meeting with me tomorrow, in her words, to re-evaluate her placement here and her future with the Navy. Now those sort of requests don't come often and I was wondering what could be behind it, the only thing I can think of is that something happened on the ship and now she's had time to think about it-"

"You think one of the crew behaved inappropriately?" Mike added when she seemed to be unable to complete her sentence.

"You have to wonder, I know the crew can be pretty highly charged and prone to practical jokes, but do you think one of them pushed things too far?"

"No, I don't, from those I've seen they all seemed to get on with her. Maybe it's her father, she's been home, perhaps she's had a chance to speak to his doctors and things aren't going well."

"She already knew that, it's why she transferred here in the first place. I just thought if I had some idea about why she wants the meeting I could be prepared."

"Well I can't help and I potentially still have the issue about a stand in XO for Hammersley."

"I'll make a few calls; see what I can come up with. Has Kate booked on those courses yet?"

"She's arranging them during her leave."

The meeting effectively over Mike stood up and moved to the door. "Remind her that she has to complete them and finish the evaluation within 6 months."

Mike nodded and opened the door, heading for his own office.

…..

Knocking on the door to the ranch house Dutchy pushed it open and peered inside, "Elena?" He couldn't see much in the dark interior.

"She's in the kitchen, you one of her friends from the Navy?" The old gruff voice asked as he stepped inside. Dutchy looked around the dimly lit room, an older man was sitting in a chair, in front of the TV which was playing quietly in the background, nearby sat an empty wheelchair. He didn't miss the pill bottle at his side either.

"Yes sir, Dylan Mulholland, I served with Elena a few weeks ago," Dutchy stepped forward and held out his hand. He figured this must be Elena's father as the older man slowly reached out and shook it, his frailty evident in his appearance and the light grip he returned.

Without realising, Dutchy's feelings must have shown in his face, "'bout the only thing I got going for me these days is my voice and my brains, rest of me is nothing to write home about." A bout of coughing shook the seated figure and Dutchy looked around for some water, when he heard the door shift and he looked up to Elena returning with a tray.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked as her father continued to cough violently.

"Go home," she answered putting down the tray and helping her father to sip some water from a glass she had brought in. "Slowly Dad," she counselled as he tried to take the glass and gulp from it. Dutchy stood by and watched as she tended to him and encouraged him to swallow some of the pills he'd seen earlier.

The coughing fit had worn out the older man and he began to doze in the chair. Elena turned to Dutchy, "please Dylan just go home, I can't deal with this right now."

"Then don't, just tell me what I can do to help, there has to be something," he waited for her to answer, but she didn't, she just shook her head and walked back to the kitchen.

"She's stubborn, just like her mother used to be, don't let her get away with it," the voice from the man in the chair wheezed as he spoke now, drawing Dutchy's attention. "She's paying far too much attention to me and my granddaughter and ignoring herself."

"Take it easy sir, I'll talk to her," Dutchy assured him as he thought again about the baby, a granddaughter, so at least now he knew it was a girl, but he wasn't left alone with his thoughts long as the old man continued.

"I know she met someone when she came to Cairns, and tell me if I'm wrong, but I doubt you'd be here if you just worked with her. Are you seeing my daughter?"

"That all depends on if she'll let me, like you said, she's stubborn." Dutchy answered smirking at her father, who chuckled then started coughing again. Quickly he was at the old man's side and helped him sip some more of the water.

When he had calmed down he nodded at the sailor, "I like you, you'd be good for her, she needs someone who can stand up to her."

Elena had re-entered the room and saw Dutchy still there and helping her father, "I do my best," he answered, both oblivious to her presence.

"Sometimes she forgets that she's a woman ... all those stripes and medals, she always thinks she's in charge," her father grumbled.

"That's enough Dad, Dylan was just leaving, he has a long drive back to Cairns." She intervened and announced her presence glaring at Dutchy who gave her a confused smirk.

"Elena, please you need a little fun, please indulge a sick old man, let Dylan here take you dancing," suggested her father.

"Dylan's got better things to do than indulge your fantasies-"

"I can do that," he interrupted fixing her with a hard stare when she whirled on him in surprise.

"No, I'm not having the pair of you ganging up on me." She glared at Dutchy, as if daring him to answer back.

"When did you get here lad?" The old man asked, ignoring Elena.

"About 20 minutes ago."

"Elena, bring the man a drink and some lunch, it's a long drive he must be starving," her father ordered. Dutchy was intrigued at the intervention; maybe she would relent and at least have lunch with him and talk.

"How about a packed lunch, then you can eat on the way home." She replied curtly, her eyes still on her former crew member, dashing his hopes of any kind of decent conversation. Coming up to the ranch had been a rash decision, especially after they hadn't spoken since the day they'd returned from the flood-clean up, but now that he was here, he didn't plan on leaving without some answers.

"I'd hoped I could take you out to lunch, but a picnic sounds good," he smirked, not letting her off the hook, but getting a nod of approval from her father seated behind her.

"I'm too busy, but I guess I could prepare you something before Nikki wakes up." Glancing between Dutchy and her father she gave them both an evil glare before turning back to the younger man, "you, kitchen, NOW!" she snapped, prodding him in the chest.

"Yes ma'am," he smiled, saluting her, his chest hurt where she'd just jabbed him, but at least he'd got a reaction from her.

.

* * *

_I think I'll run away now …. Please leave me some feedback.  
_

_SeaKat_


	23. Avoidance Tactics

_Here's the next part … one of three coming up in quick succession.  
_

**_Part 23 – Avoidance Tactics_**

Elena busied herself making lunch for everyone, while trying to ignore his presence except for issuing a few curt instructions on what he could do to assist. Every time he tried to open a conversation she shut him down. With lunch prepared she disappeared to deliver it to her father and the other guy he had seen earlier.

Dutchy ate lunch alone sat at the kitchen counter where she had left him and when he was done washed up his dishes and ventured into the lounge, the old man was snoring in the chair, so he went outside to look for Elena; she hadn't returned from her lunch errands and she had made no attempt to prepare anything for herself. Maybe it had been a mistake to come looking for her. After wandering around outside for a few minutes he noticed a battered old truck pulling up and an older woman get out. She started loading herself up with bags of groceries so with nothing better to do he went to help.

"Here, let me get those," he offered as he reached for some of the bags.

"Thank you, I thought Elena would be around, but I guess she's still out with the horses," the woman replied. He wondered for a moment if she was related and could maybe answer some of his questions.

"I'm not sure, she was around earlier," he muttered uneasily, not ready to discuss the full extent of her avoidance.

"Looks like my husband's finally hired someone who is actually prepared to work around here, he said someone was coming in today," she said, collecting more bags from the vehicle.

"Actually I'm not here to work, I came to see Elena, I guess I picked the wrong day," Dutchy replied dejectedly, looking around again for the missing woman. He had seen Elena for barely 15 minutes since he arrived and he wouldn't exactly call them friendly.

The woman gave him an encouraging smile, "she's got a lot on her mind, but the last few days have been worse, she's not stopped, if it's not the horses or the baby, its organising workmen to fix the place up, it's like she's trying to forget something."

They walked around the building to the back door which seemed to be used as the main entrance. "How long is she planning on staying up here?" Dutchy asked, wondering if he needed to think about a place to stay or whether to just give up, go home and try to forget her.

"She hasn't told you? She's going back to Cairns this afternoon. Says she has some business to attend to at the Naval base and she's meeting the baby's grandparents at the airport. She was waiting for me to get back with the supplies before leaving." She seemed surprised that he didn't know Elena's plans.

Silence fell as Dutchy tried to understand what was going on with her. He was slowly becoming more convinced it had been a wrong decision to just show up.

"Is Mr Larkin up?" the woman asked, breaking into his frazzled thoughts.

"He was sleeping in his chair in the lounge a few minutes ago," Dutchy answered as he lent his shoulder against the door and pushed it open allowing them to enter

They silently moved to the kitchen and unpacked the groceries and had just finished, when Elena reappeared, carrying the baby.

"Hi Jean, is everything okay?"

"Always is when there's a young hunk around to help," she answered, giving Elena and Dutchy a wide smile and taking the baby from Elena, "here I'll give her lunch for you, he says he's here to see you."

"I know, unfortunately it's bad timing, I've got too much to do before I leave," she answered then turned and walked out without even looking at him.

...

Kate stopped in the doorway to Mike's office as he poured over several papers, but he looked up on hearing her footsteps and gave her a warm smile.

"I hear Charge and the team have passed the engines in good working order," he greeted. "I hope he didn't give the engineers too much grief during the trials."

"You know what he's like with those engines, they're like his babies," Kate replied as she stepped fully into his office.

"Everything else run smoothly?" he asked.

"Of course, the crew are keen to know how much shore leave they're getting and when we can expect Lieutenant Gordon back.

"Shore leave is the easier question, you'll get at least a couple of days, the XO problem is the more difficult one to solve. It appears we have a shortage of Lieutenants to fill that spot and as you can't sail without one, we have a problem. Maxine's talking to Canberra to see if we can get some outside help and she's considering asking Lt-Cdr Larkin to fill in, they're meeting tomorrow," Mike informed her.

"How will she feel about that? After all it would be a backward step."

"Shows she's a team player and she knows the ship and the crew now," Mike rationalised.

"I thought she was supposed to be on a shore posting."

"You know how it is Kate, go where the Navy sends you," he countered.

"I know that all too well, but I've never heard of a former CO serving as the XO on the same ship, come to think of it I haven't heard of it happening on another ship either."

"Neither have I but there's always a first time. Have the crew given you an opinion of her?" he persisted.

"Very capable, fair when it came to discipline," she paused a moment and a thoughtful look crossed her face. "If you're asking me if the crew could work with her again I'd say yes."

"Good, because if Canberra can't sort out an XO for you, it might be our only option."

"You could always approve more shore-leave," she hinted suggestively causing a smile to cross his face.

"It would mean I get to see more of you, but I doubt that Canberra would swallow a patrol boat crew being on leave for 6 weeks," he answered.

"6 weeks?" she asked surprised. "I thought Lieutenant Gordon was doing okay."

"Apparently not, he's having another operation as the break isn't healing the way it should."

"Then I hope you find us a lieutenant to cover for him because I doubt any of our crew can last 6 weeks shore leave," she countered lightly, then turned more serious. "I'm done here now, so I'll swing by the hospital for a visit before I head home. I'm joining the crew at the pub later, do you think you'll be able to get away?"

"Not if I want tomorrow off to spend with my girlfriend, I've got all this paper work to get through first," he waved his hand over the files spread across his desk.

"Then I'd better leave you to it. I'll see you at home later." She gave him a bright smile then turned and left his office as he watched her go.

…..

Elena entered the barn and headed towards one of the stalls, grabbing a grooming kit on her way. She didn't really have time to do this, but she needed something to relax her, try and settle her mind and make a plan; she'd successfully avoided all conversation with Dutchy since he had shown up, but the more she tried to distance herself and make him leave the more he seemed determined to stay. She hadn't been ready to confront him yet, she wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to have the conversation that she knew they needed too. She'd successfully avoided discussing her and Niko but now there were no more obstacles except her own. She needed more time to think things through, she knew she owed him some explanation for her behaviour the last few weeks, but she still hadn't worked out what to say. She rested her head against the horse's neck as she started brushing it.

"It's all so simple for you, you don't have to worry about doing the right thing, about talking things through, it just happens."

"You must be stressed, talking to horses now," his voice startled her, she'd been so wrapped up with the rush of things in her head she hadn't heard him come up behind her. "Elena, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming, I tried calling, but you didn't pick up, I left voicemail messages and never heard back …. Something's going on with you, have I done something?" He watched her brush the horse a couple more times, before turning around. The look she gave him made his stomach heave, even in the height of the storm back on the ship she hadn't looked so worn out or scared and even when she was in pain she had never cried, but now the tears were pooled in her eyes.

"It's not you, it's … I just need some time, a lot of stuff has happened while you were gone … I never expected you to come looking for me."

Dutchy stepped forward and reached out to touch her, but she side stepped him and he drew back, looking over the horse, before slowly running his hand over it, inspecting it. "She's a beautiful animal, when's the foal due?"

Elena met his gaze, her surprise evident, "you can tell?"

"Used to live on a ranch remember, grew up around horses and cattle … so I'm not wrong?" He smirked.

"No, a few weeks." Elena watched as he finished his assessment.

"She's in good shape," She couldn't take her eyes off the way he ran his hands over the animal and he seemed to notice, "… You know what I don't get?" he asked looking at her and standing up straight, fixing her with a puzzled look.

"No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me," she snapped, expecting to get the third degree about Niko and the baby, and he gave her that look that clearly showed he was pissed off, but he suddenly backed off.

"I could, but I doubt right now you'd listen ... I'm going to head back to Cairns, I know you're due back later, if you want to talk you know where to find me," he practically growled at her.

"I don't plan on making it a habit of sitting in that bar alone again; I got into enough trouble last time," she announced.

"We didn't break the fraternisation rules, we wouldn't be breaking them now; you're off the ship," he countered.

Elena sighed, she was too tired to think about them, she had been taken by surprise when he showed up, she hadn't reached any conclusions over the thoughts that had occupied her min for the last 2 weeks, "I know that, but nothing is that simple, I just can't think about anything else right now, I need some time."

He was confused, "Elena, I don't understand, please let's talk." He stepped forward and cupped his hand around the back of her neck; he could feel her tense under his fingers. Reaching up she drew his hand away.

"I can't, not here," she answered stepping out of the stall, putting some distance between them.

"I don't get it, but alright, we'll do this your way. Call me when you get in," he agreed reluctantly.

She nodded. "Thank you." He turned and headed to the door of the barn. As she watched him go she saw Bob working out in the paddock and she started after the sailor, something told her she needed to do something , to give them both some hope of an amicable resolution. "Dylan, wait." He stopped and turned around. "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you to come looking for me, you surprised me."

"I thought it would be a good surprise."

"I was, it is, maybe." Now that he had stopped and his eyes were boring into her again she hedged.

"Maybe? I know it was only one night, but I thought you wanted more Elena ... I won't push anymore, you obviously don't feel the same so I'm going."

He turned around and walked over to his car and got in. She was frozen to the spot, he was about to drive away and she still didn't have the right words to tell him what was holding her back. They stared at each other one last time before he started the engine and drove out of the yard towards the road. From where she stood she could see the drive and watched until the car was out of sight, tears cascading down her cheeks. Why was telling him the truth so hard?

.

* * *

_I think I'll run away again now …._


	24. A Surprise Encounter

_I've decided to let you have a treat please leave some feedback.  
_

_**Part 24 - Surprise Encounter**_

Intending to stop off at the pub for one beer on the way home Dutchy arrived to find half the crew on the terrace overlooking the beach already celebrating the end of their last patrol. He was about to back away and head home when he thought about what that would mean; going home to an empty house. The last time he had been there was the day she took off after their patrol, it didn't matter that she had left nothing behind, somehow the place seemed weird and empty without her and that time she hadn't even been inside.

Maybe he was just over thinking everything. Normally a woman never got under his skin like she had, this time it had been different, what had started out as a friendly dinner had quickly turned into something else. For the last few weeks since she was off the ship all he could think about was whether there was a real chance of them having a normal relationship. Now that seemed impossible and unlike previous flings, this one stung like hell at the thought that it was over, it was a new experience for him. Even the encounter with that ASIO agent wasn't the same.

"Dutchy! Over here!" boomed Charge. He never made his escape quick enough, the others had spotted him.

Unable to leave, he reluctantly walked over and took the beer offered by Swain who gave him a puzzled look. "You alright Mate? You took off pretty sharp this morning when we docked," he asked.

"I needed to sort out a few things," he answered flatly, sitting down and not bothering to correct Swain's assumption that he had left quickly, when actually he had been almost the last to disembark. The saving grace to this gathering was that 2-dads wasn't there to pick on him and start discussion over the woman in the bar again.

"Your mystery blonde still avoiding you?" asked Swain, with a sly grin.

Dutchy shook his head, obviously it didn't just need 2-dads to stir, "nah, she's history."

"Not like you to be so down when one of them realises she can't stand being with a sailor." Swain responded, thankfully Dutchy didn't need to answer as they were joined by their CO.

"Hey guys," greeted Kate joining them after finishing her reports to NAVCOM and changing into her civvies.

The others greeted her leaving Dutchy staring at the beer in his hand, he didn't really feel like drinking it, but he didn't know what he did want either. Well that wasn't exactly true, but their last encounter while not exactly unfriendly wasn't how he'd expected it to turn out and he had been the one to walk away. Maybe if he'd just not pushed so much, maybe then she would have opened up and told him what was going on in her life.

Charge relinquished his chair to Kate and went to the bar. She studied Dutchy closely for a moment and decided against pressing him for details of whatever was on his mind. They were on shore leave and it was none of her concern. She did make a mental note to check on him in a couple of days though to make sure it wasn't anything serious.

After a short while they were joined by Sally, Chloe, Bomber and 2-dads and for Chloe's sake they decided to move things down to the beach, so she didn't get bored. It was an easy enough transition as the bar was right next door.

For a while Chloe was occupied with building a huge sandcastle with help from Charge and Swain. Bomber, 2-dads, Buck and the newly arrived Bird headed for the water. Dutchy sat watching the other activity on the beach, wanting to be anywhere else but unable to force himself to leave either. He had half conversations with Sally as they sat there, but soon she gave up and joined her daughter making sandcastles, a moment later Swain sat down next to him.

"You alright mate? Sally say's you're not your usual self."

Dutchy took a swig of the beer he was drinking while he thought, "honestly? I don't know."

"I assume we're talking about your mystery woman?" Swain coaxed gently as he watched Chloe ordering Charge about. "Thought you said it was over."

Dutchy turned his attention to Swain's daughter, fascinated as she set her doll on top of the sandcastle, like some sort of sentry. "What's it like?"

"What?" asked Swain, screwing his face up in confusion.

"Being a father," Dutchy responded slowly, his eyes never leaving the 4 year old playing in front of them.

Fatherhood was important to Swain and he would happily tell anyone what he could, despite not being able to explain it very well, the more subtle question behind Dutchy's words were lost on him for the moment. "It's like nothing you've ever known, ... There are times when you'd never give it up for anything, like now, then there are the days when that's all you want to do, but to see them look at you expecting you to fix their problems just makes you want to try harder." Swain smiled as he recalled some of his daughter's antics as he spoke. "I wouldn't change a thing."

Chloe looked up and waved at Dutchy, before running over and throwing herself at him, "Uncle Dutchy! You can help me get water for the moat!" Unable to resist the enthusiasm of the child, he could see Swain's point and scooped her up with her buckets and headed towards the water, both of them giggling and laughing. Swain watched, an amused smile on his face.

They returned with Chloe's voice sternly issuing instructions as they walked up the beach, "carry it carefully uncle Dutchy, you mustn't spill any." After a few more trips and the moat around the sandcastle had a trickle of water in it Chloe was distracted by Sally allowing Dutchy to collapse on the sand next to Swain again and reach for his drink, his eyes still on the girl.

"Something you really want to talk about?" asked Swain diplomatically, knowing that Dutchy wouldn't confide if he pressed too hard.

"Do you think I'd make a good father?"

"I'm not exactly the best judge of that, but in our line of work you have to work extra hard sometimes. A friend once gave me a piece of advice, when you're home with family, you're there 100%, then it makes the times in between a little better. ... What's got you thinking all this stuff suddenly, it's not like you."

"No, I kinda got blindsided," Dutchy paused as Chloe waved at him and he waved back, then he finally took his eyes off Chloe to look at Swain, "she's got a daughter, about a year old."

Swain's eyes rose, "I never expected to hear that."

"Honestly, neither did I," Dutchy answered looking up and down the beach.

"And now you're trying to work out how this affects your life?" asked Swain.

"I'd never thought of me as the married with kids type, but- ... I want to see if I was wrong all this time."

"Have you told her that?"

"She didn't really give me a chance. She's refusing to talk about anything."

Silence surrounded them for a few minutes, "What are you going to do now?"

Dutchy drained the last of his drink. "Try and talk to her I guess. Maybe if I had a reason to go back to see her- Do you think I could introduce her to Sally? I don't think she really knows anyone here and it might be good for her to talk to another mother."

A voice on the breeze caught their attention and they both looked over, "Nikki! Don't do it sweetie, come back this way. … Nicole! Come back here! … No Nikki! Don't this way!"

Swain, tapped Dutchy's shoulder, "there, by the water." Both men were on their feet in seconds and running across the beach towards the tiny figure wandering alone at the water's edge, but they weren't as fast as the woman who had been calling to the child and by the time they caught up she had the dripping and crying infant wrapped in a towel from where they had been drenched by a wave.

Catching their breath, they turned to the woman. "Is everything alright Ma'am?" Swain asked paying more attention to the squirming bundle in her arms than the woman herself.

She pushed the towel off the child's head and hugged her tight, then turned to the would be rescuers; if she was surprised she didn't show it. "Swain?" she immediately recognised the ship's coxswain and then Dutchy standing at his shoulder, "Dutchy, yes thank you. She's got her family's stubborn streak, already knows her own mind, even when it's not good for her, don't you sweetie?" she asked the still squirming and now crying child before turning back to the sailors. "She's fine, but I think I should distract her and calm her down. Thanks for coming to help."

"Glad we were here, some of the crew are up the beach a way if you'd like to join us," Swain invited. "You could meet my wife and daughter."

"Maybe another time, I've actually got to be somewhere soon. ... Dutchy would you mind lending me a hand to get everything to my car? I daren't put her down again or she'll be back in the water." Swain sensed something in the look she gave his ship-mate and the fact that he so far hadn't spoken and then their earlier conversation repeated itself in his head. He looked again at Elena, realising that for the first time he was seeing her with her hair down and in civilian clothes and the dress she wore reminded him of the woman he had seen the night in the bar.

"Go ahead, we'll catch up later," Swain nudged verbally. "Good to see you again Ma'am." He turned and walked away leaving the two staring at each other.

"I came by your place, but you weren't home," she told him as she turned back to her spot on the beach and set the child down on the towel laying out under an umbrella. He followed her and crouched down next to her as she unwrapped the little girl and began drying her off and redressing her. "Okay, after this morning I probably deserve the silent treatment, but if that's all I'm going to get then we're better off if you leave now, I'll find a way of packing this up myself."

With the little girl in a dry sundress and nappy Elena sat her on the towel with a few toys and began packing up. Dutchy reached out and ran his hand over the girl's head and she looked up at him and giggled. He hadn't left, he hadn't spoken either, but the simple gesture told Elena there still might be hope for them.

"She's not mine you know," she whispered. Neither one spoke for a moment, the only thing breaking the silence was the child babbling at her toys, the sound of the birds overhead and the waves crashing on the shore. "That's what you think isn't it? That she's my daughter," Elena asked, turning to look at him.

"What am I supposed to think? You never mentioned her all the time we were on the ship, then you turn up at my place with her in the car and you still say nothing, she's obviously been with you the last few weeks, tell me Elena what do you want me to think?" he snapped, but making no attempt to move.

Elena looked back at the child, her posture stiff, the tears were back, she tried to blink them away. "She's Niko's daughter, she was born 3 months after he died. I got caught by surprise when I got back from that patrol, her mother had been recalled to duty and is now away on a mission, she was desperate for someone to take care of her, I couldn't say no. Her parents are arriving soon to take Nicole back to Sydney, they'll take care of her until her mum gets home."

"LeLe," chirped the young girl, tapping her tiny hand on Elena's arm, she brushed the tears away and tried to smile at her charge.

"What is it sweetie? Do you want a drink?" Elena asked, suppressing her emotions again and putting Nikki first. She pulled a child's cup from her bag and gave it to her. She pushed a few things into her bag, including the toys scattered around them. "Can we meet later?" she asked turning to Dutchy.

"Somewhere private with copious amounts of alcohol, if I remember," he joked half-heartedly. "I think we both need it. Where are you staying?"

"I'm going to book in at the motel across the road after I've been to the airport."

"Do you have ... what's her name?" he asked watching the little girl grasp his finger as he held out his hand to her.

"Nicole, after her father, she mostly gets called Nikki."

"Do you have to look after her tonight?" He asked turning his attention to Elena.

"No, I'm sure she'll be thoroughly spoilt by her grandparents, they'd have missed her while they've been away."

"They've been travelling?" he asked.

"Europe for 3 weeks, which is why Jessie was so desperate for a sitter. They live with her parents so she has childcare while she works, but she got called up out of the blue for this mission and her parents were already away, she called me the night before we docked and arranged for me to have her while I was up at the ranch. I'd just collected her from the airport when I came by your place."

Nikki had enough of the drink and tossed the cup away, or would have done if Dutchy hadn't caught it. "Not a smart move young lady, you won't be able to use it if it's got sand all over it." He handed the object to Elena.

"We need to go," Elena told him, as she reached out and plucked Nikki from the towel, before she could escape, then stood up and reached for the towel, Dutchy was faster and took it and folded it before standing up and stuffing it in the bag which he tossed on his shoulder, then he lowered the umbrella and pulled it out of the sand.

...

Along the beach, Swain had returned and while Chloe was entertained by Charge he sat down next to Sally who was talking to Kate. Both looked up when he joined them.

"Everything alright Swain?" Kate asked, having seen him and Dutchy race down the beach a few minutes earlier.

"Yeah, young girl decided to go swimming on her own, the mother seemed on the ball and was there before us, so no harm done. Dutchy's giving her a hand to pack up so she doesn't have to put her down again."

"Someone we know?" asked Sally picking up on her husband's thoughtful looks.

"Actually, it's Lt-Cdr Larkin."

"I didn't know she had any children," Kate commented.

"None of us did. She never mentioned it while she was on Hammersley," Swain confirmed.

...

2-dads, Bird, Buck and Bomber were in the water when Dutchy and Elena began making their way up the beach towards her car and 2-dads saw them.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed attracting the girls attention. "Blonde and leggy, he's found another one, wouldn't have pegged him to go for one with a kid though."

Bird squinted at the pair and her mouth dropped open, "2-dads, you'd better keep quiet, I think it's Lt-Cdr Larkin."

"No way!" exclaimed 2-dads rubbing the water from his hair so he could see better without it dripping in his eyes. "It couldn't be, isn't she out of town visiting family?"

"Maybe she's back," Bomber answered. "Wasn't she your CO during that storm a few weeks ago?"

"One and the same. I never saw them as an item." The astonished look on 2-dads face showed he had been given the equivalent of a slap round the head, he was amazed he hadn't seen it coming.

"Who says they are? Swain and Dutchy just went flying over there because the kid nearly drowned itself, but she got there first, looks like he's just helped her pack up." Buck answered, following the logical trail.

The truth was actually somewhere in the middle of what everyone was thinking, but they were left to speculate as the objects of their discussion disappeared into the car park.

_._

* * *

_I think I'll run away again now …._


	25. An afternoon at the beach

_Here, you're all caught up with the SP site again.  
_

_**Part 25 - An Afternoon at the Beach**_

With the beach gear loaded into the car, Elena strapped Nikki into the baby seat and Dutchy leaned against the front door his arms folded, waiting for her to finish. She got out and closed the back door then turned to him, resting her hand on his arm, "thanks for the help, it would have been so much harder the other way."

"So tonight?" he asked, not moving and not wanting her to move either.

"What do you suggest?" she replied only for them to be interrupted by her phone. Pulling it from her pocket she checked the caller ID. "I'm sorry I need to get this," she stepped back and answered the call, talking for a few minutes before she hung up and stuffed the phone back into her pocket and turning back to Dutchy. "I'm sorry, I'll have get a rain check for this evening, Nikki's grandparents are still in Singapore. Their flight's been delayed due to a mechanical fault and they're not expected to land until about 7 am and I have to deliver her to the airport for their connecting flight to Sydney, which means I'll have to take care of her tonight."

Dutchy reached out and rested his hand on her hip and drew her closer, "why cancel anything? You don't know what I was suggesting yet, why don't the two of you stay at my place tonight, Nikki can have her own room and we can talk."

She shook her head, "it's not fair on you to bring her with me and I don't know how she'll react being in a strange place."

"Hey, you're getting yourself all stressed out, think this through," with his free hand he caressed her face, feeling the tension running though her. "You were going to stay in the motel tonight, that'll be just as strange, give yourself a break," he slid his hand around her neck and began to gently massage the knots he was sure she had. "You've had the lectures, you know you shouldn't bottle it all up, it's not good for you."

She tried to step back, away from the contact they had, but he just drew her a little closer, his fingers still massaging the back of her neck and he thought for a moment she was going to fight him, her eyes were full of fire and determination, but just a blink changed everything and her breath caught a couple of times then the tears appeared. As much as she tried to fight it, she was crumbling before his eyes, "I can't, .. I have to-."

"Yes you can, I've got you, let it go," he wrapped his arm around her more and pulled her against him, this time she had no energy to resist and buried her head against his chest as the tears fell. "You don't always have to be strong, it's okay to give in," he muttered in her ear as he held her. Unsure what else to say he waited for her to calm down a little and waited for her to look up, then he brushed away her tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm just … you must think -"

He brushed her hair off her face and stroked his thumb down her neck, "hey, it's okay, you're obviously dealing with a lot right now, don't give yourself more to think about. You and Nicole stay at mine tonight, you can chill out we can order pizza and a bottle of wine and just take it easy, if you want to fess up and tell me about Niko that's fine, if you just need a shoulder to cry on I think I just proved I'm pretty good at that too. No pressure, Scout's honour."

She looked up at him and he thought he caught a glimmer of a smile, "you told me you were never a boy scout."

"I wasn't, but I got you thinking about something else." He couldn't resist smiling at her, he could feel some of the tension dissipate as they stood there oblivious to anyone around them.

"You're serious about tonight? About taking us both in?" she asked quietly and glancing in the back of the car.

He nodded and thought for a minute, "what I'm about to say is classified, for your ears only okay?" He waited while she gave him a curious glance and then nodded, "it's a different place without you, it doesn't feel right without you there and we need to talk. I want you to have somewhere to do that in private when you're ready."

"You want me to be honest with you, tell you all the things I didn't say the night we met?" she sighed, resting her hand on his heart, pressing his damp shirt against him.

"Yeah I want you to be honest with me, but it goes both ways, there's stuff you heard on the ship about me, stuff you probably read in my file, while most of it is probably true, I owe you to tell you myself. If you want to walk away after I won't stop you, but I don't want you to walk away without us being honest with each other." He trailed his thumb down her neck again and felt her shiver despite the warm afternoon.

"Alright, just not too much alcohol though?" she conceded.

He smirked a little, "I'll save that for tomorrow, when we're alone."

Dutchy let his fingers graze her neck as he lowered his lips towards hers, about to kiss her when a high pitched squeal caught her attention and she pulled back, "You sure you still want us to stay?"

"She's not going to be awake all night is she?"

"I hope not." Elena pulled open the back door and talked to the girl. After a moment she looked up.

"It's too early for dinner and I can't leave her sitting in the car much longer, what are your plans?"

"I'm open to suggestions," he answered waiting to see if she offered a solution.

"Aren't the crew expecting you?" she reminded him, lifting Nikki back out of the car.

"Maybe, why don't you come and join them, Swain invited you, Lt-Cdr McGregor's there and you can meet Sally and Bomber. Swain's little girl Chloe, would love Nikki, and she'd probably take great delight in keeping her occupied for a while," he suggested, not exactly enthralled with the idea of the afternoon with the crew, but it would be better for Nikki and Elena needed a break so he was prepared to go with the flow.

"Are you ready for them to start asking questions?"

"It's gonna happen sometime, but right now we don't need to give anything away, just friends enjoying an afternoon at the beach. Who knows, it might wear your charge out enough so we can have some personal time later," he answered holding his hand out to Nikki who was giggling and squirming in Elena's arms. He looked at Elena, she seemed a little less stressed and even managed to give him a brief smile.

"If you're sure you can handle it."

"I can handle it, can you? ... What will you tell them about Nikki?" he asked as Elena pulled her sunglasses from her bag and propped them on her head.

"The truth," she answered, then stopped and looked at him. "You still doubt me don't you? You still think she's mine?"

He was less convinced than earlier, but he still hadn't ruled out that she was still holding out on him, she still hadn't explained her connection to Niko, and if she wasn't married to him or had his kid then why was she acting like it. "You're so good with her, just like a mother would be."

"I promise you I'm not her mother, that's Jessie, but she is my niece," she paused and looked around them, tears pooling in her eyes again. "Niko was my brother. Jessie was six months pregnant when- when it happened. I lived with her in Canberra until she moved in with her parents 4 months ago when they posted her to Sydney." For a moment they were quiet, until Nikki's voice called out again. "Can we discuss the rest later?"

Dutchy nodded, his mind was struggling to take in what she just said, it didn't match with the guy in the photo he'd seen, was she still stalling him? He looked at Nikki as Elena fussed over her, smearing sun cream on her against the child's wishes. She was a striking baby, child, he wasn't even sure what you called them when they were that big. He'd never figured he'd have to learn such things. Anyway she was a pretty girl, her skin tone clearly showed she had mixed race parents and she had a mop of dark hair and big brown eyes, he smiled when he realised Nikki was watching him.

"Dylan?" Her soft voice broke through the fog in his mind as he thought about all the possibilities; he turned his head and looked at her. "I promise I'll tell you everything, just stop trying to second guess me, I guarantee you'll never get a right answer," she told him, resting a hand on his arm and giving him a hopeful look.

"Did I ever tell you I like a mystery?" he smirked, then briefly caressed her cheek before retrieving the things from the trunk and locking up, while Elena grabbed Nikki's sunhat from the back seat. As they moved away from the car Elena dropped her sunglasses over her eyes and dropped the sunhat in the process. Dutchy quickly retrieved it and held it out to her, "here, she'll probably need this."

"Thanks," she answered taking it and trying to put it on the little girl who was adamant she didn't want it.

"No!" insisted Nikki.

"Yes, Nik. You want to go to the beach again you have to wear it, now say thank you to Dyl-Dutchy for taking us." She hurriedly changed her terminology, using his ship name to try and remind herself that if she used his own name it might give more away than what they were ready for. Not that there was anything going on between them, except a lot of unresolved questions.

"D-D," squealed Nikki in response earning a laugh from Dutchy and a groan from Elena.

"Anyone who hears that is going to get ideas now." Elena sighed.

"It's all good, I take it that's a new word."

"Oh yes, and just about the worst time for her to come out with it."

"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think," he continued to laugh as they headed towards the others.

...

Swain was the first to spot them crossing the beach, and looked at Kate, "looks like Dutchy persuaded them to stay."

"He also looks in a better mood, d'you know what's been going on with him lately?" she asked.

"Something about a woman in a bar I believe," Swain answered, glad that the tension he had appeared to witness earlier seemed to be behind them. "Ma'am, you changed your mind?" he questioned as they stopped next to the group and Elena sat down and put Nikki down on the sand, while still wrestling her to get the sunhat on.

"My plans have been changed at the last minute and Dutchy persuaded me that Chloe would like a playmate for the rest of the afternoon."

"How old is she?"

"15 months, and right now a stubborn little miss," hissed Elena as Nikki tried to crawl away. "Come here Nicole, you need to wear this, look I'm going to wear mine, she waved the baby hat in front of her then turned around and began trying to untie her straw one from the bag which Dutchy had dropped on the sand a foot or so away.

"Here, I'll get that, you hang on to her," Dutchy announced from behind her as Nikki made another break for freedom.

While Elena held onto the frustrated young child Dutchy quickly removed Elena's hat and dropped it on her head and tied the scarf under her chin. "There, all done, see Elena's got her hat, now are you going to wear yours?" he asked the child now sitting quietly in her lap as he looked at her.

After appearing to think about it for a minute she pointed at him, "D-D!"

Being momentarily distracted by something Chloe was doing Swain didn't properly hear the younger child and turned to Dutchy with a mixture of surprise and amazement in his expression. Dutchy didn't notice as he took the hat from Elena and held it out towards Nikki. While Dutchy didn't react, Elena had heard and quickly tried to explain. "Her new favourite word and person apparently, she's really taken to Dutchy. I guess I'd better introduce you all properly, Swain, Kate, my niece Nicole, I've been taking care of her for a few weeks while her mum's overseas."

"What about her father, isn't he able to take care of her?" Kate asked innocently and Dutchy noticed the way Elena froze for a second before answering. He could imagine the tears hiding behind her glasses.

"My brother was killed in action before she was born, he never got to see her." Elena hugged Nikki briefly.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't-" Kate began.

"It's alright, just having her with me the last few weeks, it's just brought everything up again. D'you mind if we change the subject?" Elena tried to put them all at ease.

"Of course not," Swain answered then looked over to the now partially demolished sandcastle. "Chloe, come here a minute."

Hearing her father's voice she looked up and saw the baby and ran over to them, also drawing Charge and Sally's attention.

"Well, well, well, our temporary CO seems to have a little secret," muttered Charge as he and Sally also joined the others.

By the time the group in the water returned a few minutes later Chloe was trying to teach Nikki how to rebuild the sandcastle with Sally and Elena's help. Charge had flopped out on the sand and was telling Kate one of his stories, leaving Dutchy and Swain alone for a moment.

"So the kid isn't hers then?"

"No, it seems I jumped to conclusions."

"You and the CO, I didn't see that happening. Did you know each other before coming on the boat?"

"Yeah, she was the woman I talked to that night in the bar. We barely got past exchanging names, before she left." Technically he wasn't lying, she did leave the bar, but there was no need to go into what happened after he left.

"And now?"

"Until today we haven't spoken since we arrived back from the relief patrol."

"And all the talk about being a father?"

"I'm thinking it's time to do something about my future." He answered watching Elena and Nikki playing in the sand, although no one could see where his eyes were looking behind his sunglasses.

"You're good with Chloe and that little scene earlier with the sun hat, I don't think you'd have any problems, you just need to find the right woman."

"I think I already have, I just hope they don't find an excuse to post her back to Hammersley."

...

It was early evening when they arrived at his place and Dutchy dragged in their cases, while Elena set up the travel cot and put Nikki in it to keep her safe, giving them a chance to sort things out. "She's so tiny, how come she has more luggage than anyone I know?" he chuckled.

"She might be tiny, but believe me everything in there is essential. … Dylan, are you really sure about this?" she asked seeing him haul the cases towards the guest room. "I can still go to the motel."

"You're here now so stop trying to escape and make yourself at home."

"You think that's what I'm trying to do? Escape?" she asked as he dropped the cases in the bedroom doorway and turned to her as she followed behind with her bag from the beach. He slipped the strap from her shoulder and eased it down to the floor then wrapped an arm around her.

"Yeah, I do, and you don't need to, I wouldn't have asked you to stay if I didn't want you here and I certainly don't want you and Nikki staying someplace alone."

"Have you forgotten that I'm a Naval Officer and quite capable of looking after myself?"

"No, but right now, I doubt you're thinking like a naval officer, you're acting more like a mother, so quit trying to put me off and just relax."

"I'm not you know, trying to put you off, it's just this whole thing with having Nicole here is strange. You've been really good about her and everything, but I didn't expect you to start playing a protective dad role."

"Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"Maybe not consciously, but I don't know, I guess I expected you to act differently." Elena looked over to the cot where things had gone quiet and Nikki was laying down. "I should get her ready for bed before she falls asleep completely, can I use your bathroom, she needs a bath to get rid of all the sand?"

He nodded and let her go, "help yourself, do you need anything?"

"Have you got any milk?" she asked walking over to the cot and lifting the sleepy child out.

"No, I haven't been shopping yet, I'll head down to the supermarket while you sort her out, anything else you need?" he answered moving across the room and swiping his keys from the coffee table, where he had dropped them a few minutes earlier.

"Some soft fresh fruit, full fat milk and some pineapple juice."

"No problem."

.

* * *

_I'm not completely happy with how this ends, but I can't work out what would fix it. Hope some of your questions are answered._

_New chapter up later  
_


	26. Niko's Story

_I've not been totally happy with the last chapter or parts of this one so I would appreciate your feedback at the end. _

**Part 26 – Niko's Story**

An hour later Dutchy found himself on the couch a sleeping baby in his arms and an empty bottle of milk in his hand when Elena reappeared from the bathroom having cleaned up after Nikki's bath and taking the time, with his encouragement to take some time for herself. He could smell strawberries in her hair as she leant over him to peek at the baby.

"She's comfortable; you've made an impression on another member of the Larkin family. How long's she been out?" she asked resting her hand on his shoulder, the warmth sending his senses awry.

"About 5 minutes, I didn't want to move and disturb her."

"You won't. Now she's out she's bomb proof, comes with being carted around to fit our social calendar. She's not one of those children who need a strict routine; I think I'd go mad if she was. Let me put her to bed and you can get cleaned up." Elena moved in front of him and leaned over to take Nikki from him, expertly taking the child and standing up, cradling her against her shoulder as she carried her to the guest room and lay her in the newly made cot which had been moved from its earlier position in the lounge. She heard his footsteps stop at the doorway as she covered the child and whispered goodnight. As she straightened up and reached for the monitor she felt his fingers graze across her neck and sweep her hair out of the way before tiny feather-like kisses followed and he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"She's a lucky little girl, to have someone who cares about her so much," he whispered as he stopped the kisses and peeked into the cot over her shoulder.

"She's also taken a shine to you. I've never seen her be so open with anyone the first time she sees them and you were so good with her." She rested her head back against his shoulder as they watched Nikki sleeping for a moment.

"You ready for dinner?" he whispered after a minute and she nodded lazily. He took her hand and began leading her back to the lounge barely pausing to grab the baby monitor on the way.

…..

Having changed their minds about pizza they settled on Thai and just over an hour later they were both sitting at his kitchen counter in silence, surrounded by empty food cartons and having realised that now the mundane chit chat was wearing thin they were going to have to talk.

Elena reached for her glass of wine and took a sip, before sitting with both hands wrapped around it to stop her fidgeting.

The silence was heavy between them and to give them both time to think Dutchy began clearing away the plates and other debris from their meal. Turning back to her he saw the glazed expression on her face as she stared at the counter, he knew what he wanted to do, but was uncertain how she would react and decided that a more subtle approach was called for, something he wasn't always good at so he was a little wary about trying it and potentially stuffing things up more than they already were.

"You seen any more of that Police Chief since we were in Lockhart River?" he asked and half grinned at her when her head shot up and her eyes met his. The small smile that crossed her lips told him he'd got the desired effect and he could feel his heart thud in his chest.

"Still jealous?" she asked, her tone teasing him.

"I wasn't jealous," he answered only to see her smile widen and her eyes light up.

"Oh no, not much. You tried to hide it under that professional exterior you think you're so good at, but I'd already picked up on your macho protective streak. You were jealous, you watched me every time I was ashore, especially when Ken was around and you hated being excluded from those few personal conversations we had." She put down her glass and reached for his hand, the smile disappeared and she turned serious, "but you know, there was nothing to worry about. I'm sorry I didn't tell you more, but like I said, Niko is still a hard subject for me to discuss and Ken blindsided me, he didn't know that he was-"

He watched the tears well in her eyes as her voice faltered, he tugged her gently to her feet and brushed them away before leading her to the couch. Elena sat down and waited for him to join her, but he pulled up a stool in front of her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Do you want to talk about him now?" Dutchy asked slowly.

She nodded in return and glanced at the closed door to the spare room where Nicole was sleeping. Turning her attention back to the man before her she took a deep breath, "I still can't talk about everything, which is why I wanted you to look it up, you know what happened to him. ... I know it would have given you the idea I was his wife and then with Nikki, I'm sorry, I didn't want you to think that, but I couldn't tell you any more without raising more questions that I wasn't ready to deal with."

"And now you are?" he asked wondering if once again she'd find an excuse to back off.

She never acknowledged the question and just sat stiffly on the couch for a few minutes, "it's pretty clear from his skin colour that he's not my biological brother; he was adopted while my parents lived in America, Dad was working on a cattle ranch there and he and mum were desperate for children and it wasn't happening, one day they met these kids from the local children's home and they fell in love with Niko. He was about 3 at the time and a wild bundle of energy. ... It took a long time, but eventually they adopted him just before they moved back here. He never knew his real parents and according to the local authorities they were mixed race and into gangs and drugs, that's why social services took him in. Once they were settled back here and bought the ranch something must have happened, maybe they'd stopped trying so hard for a baby, but it happened, and Niko was nearly 7 when I was born. ... We didn't always get on well when I was little, but he was always my big brother and I looked up to him and as we got older our relationship got better. I was gutted when he went away to college, but during the holidays he would always find something for the two of us to do and he'll tell me everything that he did."

"Everything?" Dutchy interjected while raising his eyebrows at the suggestion an 18/19 year old would discuss anything with his younger sibling.

Elena laughed. "The PG version," she countered, thankfully squashing the thoughts that had made him shudder; he didn't have any siblings, but he couldn't imagine having any discussions with someone 7 years his junior about his sex life at that age, especially a girl. She went on to explain how Niko had helped with her career choice. She also explained about the photo and how he met Jessie. Soft snuffling was heard on the baby monitor and they waited a moment to see if the little girl would settle, soon all was quiet again. Elena was staring at the floor unable to look at him and he knew that the tears still lingered even if she was currently in control. "Jess was 6 months pregnant when he died, Nicole will never know her father and Jess was adamant that his family weren't to be left out of his child's life. I moved in with her after she arrived back from England and was with her when Nikki was born. I think moving in together helped both of us in some ways."

Silence fell for a moment, then he spoke, "can I ask you a question?" She looked up and nodded, so he continued, "did he know Jess was pregnant?"

Elena nodded again. "They were in England together, she'd taken a sabbatical for the year he was supposed to be there, he was so excited when she told him," she stopped and stared at the floor again; he could feel the tension coming off her in waves and wanted to do something to take her pain away, to wrap her in his arms and let her take comfort from him, but he wasn't sure if it would be welcomed, at the same time he didn't want her to think she was alone. He had rarely been in this position and he struggled with what to do for the best, finally he opted for some sort of middle ground and slowly reached out and took her hands, feeling a slight tremor in them, but that was forgotten when she looked up. The tears that had never been far away seemed ready to fall again and he felt if they did, this time they would break her. Right now it was hard to imagine the tough, strong willed CO that had appeared in his life a month before, he reached to caress her face and wipe away a lone tear which appeared there, but Elena took his hand and lowered it to her lap, "if you do that I can't guarantee the consequences and I'm sure you never bargained on taking in a woman who can't control her emotions." She tried to make it sound light hearted, but the strain in her voice and the vice like grip on his hands told him otherwise.

He didn't care about the consequences; he was beginning to feel she may not have been given a chance to grieve properly over her brother. She had been the one to step up and take care of everyone else and now that pressure was getting to her. She needed a break so he decided it was his turn to open up. "It's okay El, I understand. I also understand why you couldn't say anything on the ship."

"You do?" she seemed surprised.

"It's a lot to deal with, you're right, it takes time to adjust. I told you I knew what it was like to lose someone. I know it's not quite the same," now it was his turn to pause and control his emotions. "My boarding officer was killed in the Gulf, I watched helpless while he had his throat cut, … I always wonder if there's something I could have done different, if I could have saved him. ... I guess we're both scarred by events beyond our control."

"I guess we are. ... but I also know that you saved 6 other men that day, so don't forget that." Her eyes seemed to bore into his and her voice held none of the tension of a few moments before, she was quiet but reassuring and he couldn't help grinning at her.

"How much more do you know about me that I haven't told you?" he asked curiously.

She couldn't hide the flush that graced her cheeks at his question and he wondered how she would answer, she didn't leave him in suspense long, "a lot, I've been informed, although I'm not quite sure how reliably, that you're a security risk and a womaniser, you can be reckless which gets you into trouble and on three occasions it's almost got you killed."

"Three?" he challenged, the tension slipping away from both of them as they set aside, at least for a moment, talk of their painful pasts.

"Chasing down a mystery yacht and finding gold, Laurel Andrews and that FFV mother ship, don't get me wrong, there are probably more than 3 but that's all that's in your file." He'd flinched when she mentioned the woman who'd tried to kill him, but he was grateful she didn't dwell on the point. That was a conversation for another day, but at least he wouldn't need to give her all the details.

"That's not fair you know, I'm at a disadvantage, do I get to read your file?" he teased, knowing the answer already but wanting to hear what she would say.

Elena shook her head and stood up, "definitely not, besides there's nothing interesting in it," She answered lightly, moving towards the kitchen and retrieving their drinks. His eyes never left her as he pondered his next approach; she'd opened up the door.

"Nothing interesting at all?" he asked continuing his previous question and taking the beer bottle from her when she returned.

"No," she answered a little too quickly.

"I don't believe you," he grinned. "There's got to be something interesting."

Now that her history with Niko was out in the open they were descending into mindless hedging, meaningless banter that was going nowhere. One of them needed to up the ante, but neither seemed prepared to take the first step. She was standing looking out his window and sipping her wine and he began to think about putting on a movie, giving them something to distract them from the heavy conversation that had taken place and allow them some space from feeling like they had to talk.

He put down his beer bottle and stood up, moving to join her at the window, but was stopped in his tracks by a knock on the door. "I'll get rid of them," he offered, "then we can find a movie to watch."

As he went to the door she put down her glass and went to check on Nikki.

….

Charge and 2-dads were standing on the step when he opened the door.

"You are in, you're not answering your phone," announced 2-dads.

"Does it occur to you I might not want to talk to you. We're on shore leave," he half snapped while glaring at the younger sailor.

"We're going down the pub, thought you might want to come and see if you can find that mystery woman of yours," Charge encouraged, stopping his shipmate from pressing the point, but it was all in vain.

"Or are you thinking of going after Lt-Cdr Larkin? I'll tell you she's got your number my friend," 2-dads baited, poking him in the ribs and practically bouncing up and down. "I'll give you something; she was sexy as hell in that bathing suit this afternoon."

"Maybe another night, but not now, I was on watch last night and it's been a long day, I'm just going to turn in," he answered, trying to sound bored and exhausted, while curling his hand into a fist at the back of the door where it wasn't seen. He was secretly thankful that for now they hadn't made the connection between the two women.

"You're passing up a night on the town, that isn't the Dutchy we know," Charge commented. "You got something better going on?" he prompted, following 2-dads opening.

"Yeah, sleep. 'Night guys," Dutchy answered flatly, while closing the door, only to have it stopped by the younger sailor.

"Alright," drawled 2-dads. "But don't say we didn't offer to take you with us and help you find your mystery woman."

Finally he persuaded them to go, wondering how many drinks they'd already had. Closing the door he rested his head against it for a moment and took a deep breath.

"I'll give him something, he's persistent," a voice said behind him, a hint of amusement in her tone making him turn around and smile at her. "What do you think he would have said if he knew I was here all the time?" she asked letting him know she had heard the conversation as she leant on the wall a few feet away from him, the light from behind her creating a halo effect around her blonde hair, but he still had enough light to see that she had lost the tension from her face and the brief smile she gave him made his heart thump again.

Taking a couple of steps closer Dutchy reached out and rested his hands on her hips, gently pulling her towards him, "do we have to talk about that?"

"Then what do you want to talk about?" she asked quietly as their eyes remained riveted on each other.

"Nothing," he whispered, his hand brushing her hair from her neck, and grazing his fingers across the sensitive spot under her ear that he'd discovered the last time they were together.

"You know you don't have to stay in on my account," she whispered back; but despite her words, he felt the shiver which involuntarily coursed through her at his touch.

"Ma'am with all due respect, shut up," he mouthed against her skin as he slid her dress strap down her arm and began to move in an achingly slow trail from the tip of her shoulder, across her collarbone, to the base of her neck and then up. She tilted her head to allow his lips full access to precisely the right spots, as he carefully snaked his arms around her as one of hers wrapped around his neck as he slowly sought her soft lips.

She pulled back millimetres away from his kiss and whispered, "are you giving me orders now Petty Officer?" He stared at her and she saw his eyes, which were full of emotions.

He grinned, "tell me you don't like it, tell me you're not turned on, even just a little bit."

"That what you'd like me to say?" she whispered as their lips met once again, then he was moving, pressing her back against the wall and crushing her lips with his. She responded immediately, her other arm coming up around his neck as he pressed his body against hers, one hand tangling in her long hair while the other gripped the back of her dress. He didn't take long to deepen the kiss, his tongue moving inside of her mouth, making her brain completely shut down. She moaned, the sound swallowed by his mouth as their kisses grew faster and more passionate. Her fingers gripped his neck tightly. He felt her sink against him and he pushed her even harder against the wall.

Eventually they had to pull back for air. He rested his forehead against hers, sucking in breath but he caught her smile as she reached up and kissed him softly.

* * *

_I have 4 more chapter complete and will post another today and two tomorrow, but for anyone reading please leave a comment.  
_


	27. The real me

_I've been away on business and not had much time for writing since I got back, but have a few in reserve.  
_

**Part 27 – The real me**

Elena woke up early, daylight was beginning to filter through the windows and stretch across the room. For a few minutes she lay curled up under the sheet and let her mind wander, the last 24 hours had taken her on a journey of highs and lows, ending on a pretty good high. After her revelations about Niko, talk of anything had been set aside for something more personal. She could almost feel his lips on her skin from their make out session the night before in the hallway; he had taunted her and brought her senses to a level she didn't think she'd ever experienced.

Pushing the covers aside she got up and smoothed down her nightdress before wandering towards the kitchen, pausing to watch as he poured water into two mugs that were sitting on the counter. He was already half dressed, his white naval shirt lay out across the back of the sofa, leaving him topless, allowing her a good view of his rippling back muscles as she allowed herself a voyeuristic moment.

He must have known she was there because he half turned and looked at her. "Hey, I thought you were still sleeping," he greeted in that voice that just seemed to hit every nerve in her body, sending a tingling sensation down her spine.

She shook her head and smiled flirtatiously, "it's hard to sleep when someone takes the pillow away."

He took just two steps to reach her and rest a hand on her hip pulling her closer, "I wasn't sure if you'd still feel the same this morning," he muttered, his eyes on hers as he grazed his fingers down her neck, causing her to gasp as he struck that spot below her ear that made her melt.

"I'm still here aren't I?" she answered, then quickly looked around. "What time is it?" She asked when he stopped her by cupping his hand around her face and drawing her attention back to him.

"It's almost five; we've got plenty of time before we leave for the airport."

"We?" she questioned. "You don't have to go with me; this is nothing to do with you."

"And you're going to manage a lively 15 month old and all her luggage on your own?"

"It wouldn't be the first time." She answered then looked at him curiously as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "you're not going to let me do this alone are you?"

"Give me one good reason why I should."

"Because my niece is not your concern."

"Not yet, but I'm willing to use her to get to her aunt, think it might work?" he smirked at her.

Elena pretended to think, "well, she did seem to think you were her new best friend yesterday and you did look cute cuddling her last night. Is she awake yet?" She started to pull away and looked towards the room where Nikki had spent the night.

"About 10 minutes ago, I've given her the bottle you prepared last night and did that heat test thing to make sure it wasn't too hot."

"If 2-dads heard that-" she started, only to have him cut her off.

"Don't threaten me with that, there's a lot of things about me you don't know, I'm not the guy everyone thinks I am and I intend to prove it to you." He shook his head and grinned as he slid one hand smoothly across her silky nightdress, while the other he tangled in her hair, stopping her from moving, not that she really wanted to.

"Is that right?" she challenged as she ran her hands across his shoulders and down to rest on his biceps and feeling his muscles ripple under her touch.

"You may have read my file, but you don't know me, so what do you say we start with a clean slate and after you're done with NAVCOM I'll introduce you to the real me?"

"The real you? I like the sound of that." She couldn't help giggling a little, "what do I have to do?"

He fixed her with the look that made her stomach flutter. "Well that all depends," he answered cryptically, while stroking his thumb down her neck and sending tingles down her spine making her squirm. "Come here," he swiftly wrapped both arms around her and lifted her off her feet, making her hurriedly wrap her arms around his neck to keep her balance as he turned and sat her on the kitchen counter.

"Okay, I'm here, now what?" she asked, a smile crossing her face as she held his gaze only inches from her own.

"Well ma'am if I have to tell you-" he whispered, letting the words hang for a moment before closing the gap and seizing her lips with his.

…..

The trip to the airport worked surprisingly smoothly. They had arrived just as the plane landed from Singapore and following a few strategic calls placed the night before as well as wearing their uniforms it gave them almost immediate access to the arrival gate. The grandparents were delighted to see Nikki and she seemed equally enthralled with all the fuss, allowing a smooth hand over of responsibilities and a brief introduction to Dutchy who had insisted on staying with her to ensure there were no problems.

Their final task on leaving the airport was to return the rental car and pick-up Elena's own open top 2-seater, which he expertly steered towards the naval base shortly after 0930.

Approaching the base he glanced over at her and frowned, she had been quiet on the short drive and he guessed her mind was on the young girl on her way back home. "Hey, she'll be fine, her grandparents will spoil her rotten," he said, causing her to look at him before he turned his attention back to the road.

"I know, I just get so attached to her when she's with me, it's like giving part of me up when I have to leave her. Makes me wonder if I ever have a family of my own what the weeks at sea will do to us, because when I'm done here it'll be a sea posting, probably for about 4 years to gain more experience."

He glanced at her then reached over and cupped the back of her neck grazing his thumb across the pulse point under her ear, trying to offer her some comfort. "No one says what we do is easy, but someone has to do it."

"I know, but I'm beginning to think that there's more out there for me. The ranch is falling apart without someone keeping control of everything, Dad needs someone around more to take care of him and with Jessie working again and she needs a stable back up for Nikki. Her parents won't be able to help forever and-"

He returned his hand to the wheel after grazing her neck one final time and cutting off her rant, "hey, you're rambling, … is that what your meeting with NAVCOM is about?"

"Sort of, I'm supposed to be working again from tomorrow, but there's too much to sort out at the ranch and Dad's having a bad time right now, I'd like to spend more time with him."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Discuss my options. I just don't think I can deal with everything on top of a full time job," she moaned, her voice strained with emotion.

"Will you promise me something?" he asked, risking another look at her when she didn't answer. "Whatever is going on you don't bottle it up, talk to me, if we're at sea you can email, anything."

Elena settled into the seat and glanced at him, "do you realise what you're letting yourself in for if I do that? You may never get any work done."

"I think the CO might have something to say about that," he muttered and heard her laugh.

"We'll maybe you should think about a new career, I could use a good ranch hand and the way you checked out the horses yesterday tells me you know a thing or two, I could just give you a few jobs to do to test your skills further, of course I might have to insist you do them shirtless."

"Shirtless? Didn't you say something earlier about wanting to see more than that?" he teased as he pulled up to the security lodge and waved his ID at the guard, while Elena fought to stop her giggling. Once she had produced her own ID and they pulled away she looked at Dutchy as he expertly negotiated the route to the car park.

"That was not fair!" she gasped as she brought her laughter under control. "What do you take me for Petty Officer Mulholland?"

Turning into a parking space he quickly turned off the engine and shifted to look at her, fixing her with a semi thoughtful but amused look, "a smart, passionate woman, who needs to learn to live a little."

"And I suppose you plan on having something to do with that?" she replied. Earning herself an all-knowing grin from him.

"Are you saying no?" he challenged, doing his best to look hurt to see what she would do next.

"Let's get something straight here; I wasn't the one who put the brakes on last night. That was all you, not that I didn't appreciate the gesture or the shoulder to use as a pillow as consolation-" She stopped as several sailors passed near them. "We'll talk after I'm done here. If you want to head home, I'll get a cab."

"There's a couple of things I forgot on the ship, I'll go get them while I wait."

Elena got out of the car and closed the door. "Hopefully I won't be too long," she told him before walking away.

…..

Mike had been planning to have the day free to spend with Kate, but she needed to update a couple of reports and Maxine had wanted to meet early about the staffing situation on Hammersley, so he was on his way into the building after a break for coffee and noticed Dutchy return from the ship dressed in his Naval whites. With a brief salute as they saw each other Mike couldn't resist greeting him with a smile and a teasing tone, "Dutchy, thought you'd be making the most of your shore leave, not hanging around NAVCOM and Hammersley."

"Had a few errands to run, I've just been to collect some things I left behind yesterday," he answered holding up a bag.

"I'm glad I ran into you, I planned to call you later."

Dutchy frowned, "what for sir?"

"Lt-Cdr Larkin, … what did the crew think of her while she was CO?"

After looking around quickly and wondering why he was being singled out he answered carefully, "she's very capable sir."

"That all?" Mike pressed.

"Can discipline when the need arises, why are you asking me?" He was still wary about all the questions.

"Commander White and I have been discussing the ship's personnel issues, Lt Gordon is going to be incapacitated for a while and the Lt-Cdr if she's willing will make a good temporary replacement," Mike announced.

Dutchy felt an ominous cloud descend and he frowned at the implications, "you're serious? She's going to be posted back to Hammersley?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm when inside he was anything but.

Mike noticed the fixed expression of the ship's bosun and called him out, "I thought you said she did a good job; that sounds like you don't want her back on board."

"Don't get me wrong sir, she was a great CO, but asking a former CO to be our new XO isn't that asking for trouble?"

"Lt-Cdr McGregor said they get on well, I think we can work out a suitable command structure." Mike said, once again oblivious to the look on Dutchy's face.

"With all due respect sir, it's not a good idea," he ventured, immediately catching Mike's attention.

"Why would that be Petty Officer Mulholland?" Mike asked, his official tone changing the vibe of the conversation. Dutchy paused for a moment not able to definitively describe their relationship and not wanting to say anything that Elena may not agree with, Mike hurriedly picked up on the silence. "I am aware that Commander White is meeting the Lt-Cdr this morning at her request, did something happen on that patrol that everyone conveniently overlooked in their reports?"

"No, Sir," Dutchy answered rapidly. "I know she has a lot of family issues to deal with and I don't think sending her to sea will be helpful."

"I understood her father's condition was stable and expected to remain so for a while, I'm assuming with working so closely with her during the rotation she may have confided in you, do you know something we don't?"

"I think you should be talking to her, Sir."

"Commander White is going to do that, I just wanted to see if you felt the crew could work with her again."

Dutchy looked around and saw Elena emerge from the building and head towards them. "The crew would be fine Sir," he answered deliberately in order not to raise suspicion, but what he really wanted to say was something else.

Elena joined them and saluted, both returned her greeting, Dutchy was about to say something but didn't get a chance to before Mike greeted her, "Lt-Cdr, you'll remember Petty Officer Mulholland, I've just informed him that you will be returning to Hammersley as the ship's XO for a few weeks until Lt Gordon is fit again."

"I'm sorry sir, I think you misunderstand the situation, Commander White will be speaking with you shortly. If you'll excuse me I have an appointment to keep," Elena answered coldly, before saluting and walking away.

Mike watched for a moment and then turned to Dutchy. "I'd better go and find out what's happening, be ready to sail later today," he ordered and with an exchange of salutes Mike walked away.

He entered the command centre at NAVCOM as Maxine left her office, "Commander Flynn, I need a word."

Once behind closed doors they both sat down. "I just ran into Dutchy who seemed less than impressed that we're asking Lt-Cdr Larkin to go back on Hammersley, do you have any idea what's going on?"

"I've got a pretty good idea and it puts us in a bloody awkward position Mike," she answered firmly.

"Awkward, how?"

"Come on Mike, think about it, what did Petty Officer Mulholland say to you exactly?" Maxine asked pointedly.

"That it wasn't a good idea, I take it she didn't take the news too well either judging by the cold shoulder I just got, don't get me wrong, she wasn't insubordinate, but something clearly had her thinking she wasn't going back aboard."

"She's not."

"Then what's going on?" he asked, irritated that the staffing situation couldn't be resolved, although the silver lining was that his girlfriend was likely to get more time ashore.

"Lt Cdr Larkin will remain at NAVCOM starting the day after tomorrow, working part time until further notice, she's asked for her reasons not to be shared with the staff and I'm sorry Mike but that includes you for the time being. I will meet with her again next week and we'll reassess the situation," Maxine explained, quite determined in her resolve not to explain more to him.

"Reassess the situation? Come on Maxine what the hell does that mean?"

"Elena has more than just her father to take care of right now, and you were right yesterday, things are not good, he may be stable, but she's been told he can deteriorate rapidly with little or no warning. I can't post her aboard a boat absent for weeks at a time knowing that will be all she's thinking about, it's too risky for her and the crew. The other reasons will remain confidential."

"Did something happen on that patrol between her and the crew?" Mike asked, now suspecting that there was a whole other side to the story and pissed off that he wasn't in the loop.

"Mike you know I cannot divulge confidential information. There are a few things that need ironing out, but it should all become clear next week."

"And what do we do with Hammersley now?"

"Looks like they'll have a few more days shore leave. Lieutenant Turner will be back from vacation at the end of the week, he wanted some sea time, I'll assign him temporarily, I can reassign some of his duties and Lt-Cdr Larkin can take the rest."

"Fine, you know I'm not happy being out of the loop, but I guess I can't persuade you to change your mind," Mike grumbled.

"No but I do need you to do something for me, we need to interview all the crew on Hammersley and get an account of the on board relationship between Petty Officer Mulholland and Lt Commander Larkin."

"You think they're in a relationship?" Mike laughed. "I seriously doubt that, she only arrived in Cairns the night before they were crash sailed, she knows no one in town and has spent the last 2 weeks with her father up north; I also understand she's been taking care of her infant niece. .. I know about her brother, Kate told me. Besides when I saw her just now, she practically ignored Dutchy." Mike's confusion was evident in his expression and Maxine fixed him with a firm glare.

"You know that's irrelevant Mike. Information has come to me and we need to ensure the rules are observed."

…..

Dutchy had followed Elena to the car park and found her leaning against her car. He unlocked it with the key fob as he approached her and his eyes never left her, he already knew from her exchange with Mike that something was wrong and her sunglasses were hiding her eyes which he had learnt were a good indicator of her mood, but the tension in her face and posture indicated she wasn't happy. She looked angry.

"Get in, we can't talk here," he acknowledged, pulling open the passenger door, avoiding any close contact because of where they were. Had they been off the base and out of uniform he would have taken a different approach, but here it would be frowned upon.

Elena looked up then got in without saying a word. A few minutes later, once they were clear of the base and heading towards Dutchy's house she exploded.

"You heard their little plan?" she spat angrily.

"Yeah, but you obviously found a loophole, what did you tell them?" he glanced at her wondering what she said.

"More than I should have probably."

She stopped and turned her head to watch the passing scenery, her silence was starting to unnerve him. "Elena, I'm not the enemy here, talk to me."

She turned and exchanged a look with him, then pulled her hair loose from the neat bun she had adopted to go to NAVCOM. "Let's get home first."

A few minutes later they arrived at his house and she marched straight into his spare room and slammed the door.

* * *

_I will post two more chapters tomorrow._


	28. Consequences

_Once I got going this finally came together. Elena finally confesses what happened at NAVCOM …_

**Part 28 - Consequences**

After the door slammed, Dutchy rubbed his hand over his face and followed her. Stopping in front of the door he raised his hand and knocked firmly and was surprised by how quickly she opened the door again. She looked up and her eyes locked on his, her sunglasses were gone, but it didn't help him, her eyes held no real clue to her mood.

"I'm sorry, I think I did something stupid," she almost whined and he realised that the look she gave him he had seen before, she was emotional, the tears weren't far away and he wondered what could be so bad that the meeting would leave her like this.

He stepped closer and cupped his hands around her face and grazed his thumbs across her cheeks, "hey, calm down, we can talk about it, whatever happened I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"Try worse," she broke the contact by stepping back, but her eyes never left his, "I just got so mad when Commander White refused me any extra leave and suggested I go back on the ship as your XO, I can't do all this anymore. Now I've just stuffed up everything."

He took another step closer and reduced the gap she had just made and resting his hands on her hips drew her towards him, "I doubt you could stuff anything up."

Elena rested her hands on his arms and looked up at him, "you weren't there."

"No, but I'm here now," he kept eye contact with her and could feel the stress in her muscles under his touch. "What happened?"

Elena stood silent for a moment, "I think I just resigned." She took a breath, "after telling her I thought I was pregnant."

Dutchy's eyes widened a little in surprise, "resigned?" She nodded, "so what happens now?"

"I get to stay here and someone else from NAVCOM is going to Hammersley when he's back from leave."

"That's good," he confirmed his eyes on her, it was like she was waiting for something, like she wasn't sure what was going to happen. "That must make it better for you, to be able to go home more."

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed, he lifted one hand and brushed his knuckles over her face before trailing his fingers across that spot on her neck that he knew made her melt.

"Listen, you're stressed, I've got a plan, if we're not sailing for a couple of days, let's get out of town, I'll take you anywhere you want to go," he suggested watching for her reaction.

"Are you sure?"

"You have to ask? I promised you the real me, now get used to it ma'am, coz you're not going to know what hit you."

He watched a small smile cross her lips and felt some of the tension fade as he caressed her neck. "I'm all yours," she whispered. "I don't care about NAVCOM or anything else, for the next 36 hours I want to hide from everything and who can argue if I get a good looking sailor to keep me company."

"How soon can you be ready?"

"My bags are packed ready to find a place to stay, I just need to change."

He trailed his fingers across her throat and ran them downwards towards the buttons on her shirt, making her shiver, so he shifted his other hand from her hip around her back to support her, then lowered his lips to her ear, "is that something I can help with?"

He smiled when she giggled and squirmed a little as his fingers deftly undid the first button, "Dylan, wait." The words were like ice despite the breathy nature of her voice and he shifted his head to look at her, "we still need to talk. You were right, what you said that first day on the ship, I've been dreaming about you like crazy and there's nothing I'd like more than for you to finish what you started last night, but there are consequences and I need to know a few things first."

"Then we'll get lunch in town and then-" he felt her warm fingers press against his lips, stopping him as he watched her shake her head.

"I need to get out of town, somewhere we won't be interrupted … you know what I'd like?"

He wrapped his hand around her fingers and drew them away from his lips as he leaned forwards and mumbled against her ear "I think I'm starting to get the picture."

Slowly he trailed kisses down her jaw until seizing her lips with his for several moments. There was nothing he would have liked more than to keep her in his arms, but somewhere in the recesses of his mind a plan was forming and he pulled away. "Change into something practical and sexy, I'm going to call a mate of mine he owes me a favour."

She slapped his arm playfully, "I hope you don't mean you're inviting him along? I'm not that sort of girl."

"I'm sure ma'am with the right encouragement you can do anything you want, but don't worry; I want you all to myself. Change. Now." He instructed firmly.

He watched her eyes flick across his, "yes, sir" she answered mockingly and she turned around and began to undo the rest of the buttons on her shirt; he let his eyes wander over her figure and smiled, he couldn't resist a playful smack to her bottom as he turned to leave.

…..

Mike was in the Hammersley galley helping himself to coffee while he waited for the first of the crew to arrive. He had already spoken to Kate, not that she could tell him much, not having been on board with Elena and Dutchy. He was thinking through his strategy for meeting the crew when footsteps down the hall drew his attention and another figure appeared in the doorway. Mike looked up as he stirred his coffee.

"Sir, you wanted to see me," greeted the sailor.

"Swain, yes I do, we'll use the ship's office," a moment later they were behind closed doors and were sitting either side of the table.

"Is there a problem sir?" Swain asked, as Mike remained silent for a few minutes.

"I don't know Swain, you tell me."

"I'm sorry I don't know what you're talking about."

"How were Dutchy and Lt-Cdr Larkin during the patrol when she was on the ship?" Mike asked eventually, watching the other sailor's reaction to the question.

"They worked well together, there were a few tense moments, but nothing out of the ordinary, we had some difficult situations to deal with," Swain answered.

"How was their personal relationship?"

"From what I saw they were professional, of course there were times when they would meet alone, but nothing different to what you and Lt-Cdr McGregor did or she does with the X."

"So no rumours circulated?"

"2-dads was particularly pushy about a woman Dutchy met the night before we sailed, but as far as I'm aware they spoke at a bar and that was it. He got a little touchy about it at times."

"Thinking back now, is it significant?" Mike pressed.

Swain thought carefully for a moment, "on the ship, no, but he did admit yesterday when they met at the beach that she was the woman at the bar, although I think he only said it to me. Maybe because we were all there having a good time I'm reading too much into the situation, but they seem to have a connection."

"So you didn't see any signs of a personal relationship while they were on patrol?"

"There were a few discussions after arriving in Lockhart river that seemed a little more intense, but I understand that it was to do with her family situation more than between them. It turned out that the police chief knew her brother and hadn't heard he'd been killed in action."

"And that's all?"

"I don't know what you want me to say sir, I can't tell you what I don't know."

"Alright Swain. Thank you, I'll be talking to the rest of the crew, but for now I'd rather you said nothing about this enquiry."

Swain stood up to leave. "Lt-Cdr Larkin was a good CO, I'd work with her again and so would the crew, she knows her job, but works with a relaxed style but treated the crew fairly and could discipline as needed, not unlike yourself or Lt-Cdr McGregor."

After Swain left, Mike sat with the two personnel files while he waited for his next crewmember which didn't last long. A brief rap to the door indicated his next target had arrived.

"Come in," he commanded and the door opened allowing 2-dads to stick his head around the door.

"Um, boss, I was told you wanted to see me."

"Come in and close the door." Mike instructed and waited until the door was shut before starting his questions, this time he didn't offer the sailor a seat, that was a privilege he kept for the senior men on board. "I need some information about the patrol you were on with Lt-Cdr Larkin. Any information you share with me will be given in confidence and who said what will not be fed back to the crew." Mikes opening remarks seemed to hit 2-dads squarely between the eyes, which seemed to bug out of his head while his jaw dropped into an astonished "O".

"I swear boss, it was just a bit of fun, I never intended anything by it, did Dutchy report me over the ribbing about the woman in the bar?" he asked astonished. "I know I probably went a bit overboard, but I thought galley duty and being the senior sailors gopher was my punishment."

Mike hid a bemused smirk. Catching 2-dads out was an unexpected turn of events. Forcing himself to suppress the laughter that was rising in him he schooled his features and forced himself to frown before answering. "I believe 2-dads that the punishment was deserved and that matter has been closed, but it has come to NAVCOM's attention that those rumours may have carried some truth after all, what do you know about the woman in the bar?"

Now the younger sailor was the one to look bemused and after a moment of thought he adopted a serious look as he stood squarely and answered the question, "nothing sir. … I mean, there was this woman at the bar, she was blonde and leggy, you know the type Dutchy usually goes for, Buffer and Spider were there, so I didn't really notice, I never saw them talk, or when she left, but Swain knows he spoke to her."

"And that's it? You built your rumour mongering against that?" Mike asked firmly.

2-dads looked a little contrite and stared at the floor for a few seconds before looking back at his former CO. "If he didn't react the way he did it would have been forgotten, but to see him get mad about being asked if they spent the night together seemed to indicate that the Dutch man's talents were fading and you couldn't let that go."

"So you thought it would be okay to taunt a member of the senior crew with a personal situation that was none of your business?"

"Yeah, it was just so not him, … I know it was a dumb move, but it was just too good to pass up."

Mike sighed, it appeared 2-dads still hadn't learnt his lesson. "2-dads, if you want to progress in the Navy you have to start watching what you say, the pranks, the poker games they have to stop if you want to be taken seriously," Mike warned.

2-dads smiled cheekily, "I'm sorry sir, but it's like fate, the opportunities just fall into my lap."

"How did Lt-Cdr Larkin get on aboard the ship?"

"I could say she was awful sir, because she gave me extra work, because she found out what I was saying about Ditchy but in truth sir, she was fair, maybe I did deserve punishment and she handled it professionally."

"Do you think she was fair with you?"

"Yes sir," Mike studied the younger sailor for a few minutes as he carefully worked out his next question, leaving 2-dads shuffling his feet in anticipation and probably a little fear.

"How did she get on with the senior sailors, particularly Dutchy when he stepped up to cover for the XO?"

"She got on with everyone, it was a bit dicey with Dutchy for a few days after the X was medevac'd but they stood on deck one night and talked. It seemed better after that."

"Do you know what they discussed?" Mike asked, knowing if 2-dads had seen them together he most likely would have found some vantage point to spy on them better.

"No, I only saw them on the CCTV, there was no sound, he'd been pretty pissed off for a couple of days, but I don't know why, I think she must have called him on it."

"Did you see any fraternisation between them?"

2-dads thought for a moment, "not exactly. When we were ashore at Lockhart River he seemed concerned about her when she went off alone a few times with the local police chief, I figured it was because he was being kept out of the loop… Once I suggested that she looked his type and he nearly bit my head off, but I figured it was because I'd been teasing him about the woman from the bar too. At the end of the patrol they'd kind of like worked out this secret code that you and the X seemed to have, words wouldn't be necessary, they'd just seem to read each other's minds."

Mike pondered 2-dads revelations and wondered if the reason for their synchronicity was more than just a close working relationship. He was never sure that his ability to have unspoken conversations with Kate was because they were in love rather than just having built a close professional working pattern, however he felt he knew what the women in his life would say. Love was their answer for most things.

"Have you seen them together since they were on the ship?"

"Yesterday, she was at the beach with her niece, she joined the crew for a few hours, Dutchy must have persuaded her to stay because she was leaving at one point, the boss can probably tell you more, she spoke to them more than I did."

"I know, I've already heard her views. … That will be all, this is a confidential enquiry and I'm sure you know it shouldn't be discussed except with me or Commander White."

"Yes sir."

…..

It had been about an hour since their return from NAVCOM and while Elena had run an errand of her own, Dutchy was in the supermarket opposite the Marina where they had agreed to meet. He wandered up and down the aisles collecting some essential supplies to sustain them for the next day or two, along with some bottles of wine and beer. With his basket now overflowing he made a beeline for the last aisle and the medical/hygiene section. As he approached the items he was looking for, something else caught his eye and her words from earlier struck him like a freight train. He stopped in his tracks and forced air into his lungs, his eyes riveted to the female products before him.

_After telling her I thought I was pregnant. _He'd been so focused on her saying she'd resigned that anything after it he had been oblivious to, now as he stared at the line of pregnancy tests the words seemed to send a jolt of electricity through him. _Was she? Was it just a ploy to stop them posting her back on Hammersley? She must think he was a right idiot when he didn't say anything. _Taking a deep breath he tried to get his thoughts in a coherent order, he looked around; no one seemed to have noticed he was rooted to the spot. The question now was what he should do about it and for the second time in two days he wondered if he could really settle down with a wife and children; a subject that he had never taken the time to think about before. He glanced in his basket and wondered if the alcohol was a good move, weren't pregnant women supposed to give up the stuff? But if he put it back and she wasn't she might be disappointed, he tried to think back to the night before and he realised that although he had served her wine she hadn't drunk more than a few mouthfuls, he should have realised something then.

The only answer was to get to the Marina and meet her and then ask her about it and apologise profusely for not picking up what she said earlier. But that left him with a dilemma, did he pick up the box of condoms that he had originally been in that aisle for; because if she was pregnant they wouldn't need them and it would be a waste. Erring on the side of caution he grabbed a pack anyway and hurried towards the checkout.

…..

Elena had made it to the Marina and was already on board when he appeared on the jetty. She had arrived a few minutes before and been swept aboard by a likeable young man who explained it was his boat and he was a friend of Dutchy's. She was glad she didn't have to wait outside in the hot sun, but standing in the cabin doorway she could see the two men exchange brief greetings before the sailor hurried aboard with two bags of shopping.

She anticipated a smile or some wisecrack from him, but instead he surprised her by almost dropping the bags on the bench next to her and sweeping her up in his arms; she wrapped hers around his neck for balance as his lips landed on hers with an intensity she had never expected. She could feel his muscles were taut as he held her tight, but at the same time there was a resistance like not wanting to crush her. She wondered what had prompted his actions. Pulling back he focused on her eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't listen."

"Didn't listen to what?" she asked as he set her back on her feet and cupped her face in his hand, her arm shifting to allow him access and her hand settling against his thumping heart.

"You, what you said earlier, about NAVCOM, I was an idiot, you said you resigned and everything after that went over my head, it shouldn't have, but it did and I'm sorry." He finished by tracing light kisses across her lips.

She pressed her hand against him a little harder, separating them. "What are you talking about?"

She felt confused, she hadn't said anything else, well at least she was sure she hadn't, at least not out loud.

"after telling her I thought I was pregnant," he repeated her words verbatim; she could feel the thump of his heart as he spoke and as the words echoed in her head, "you said you thought you resigned, after telling her you thought you were pregnant."

"I said it out loud?" She tried to decipher the look in his eyes, but other than feeling them bore into her, she couldn't tell what he was thinking. When he nodded briefly she closed her eyes and collapsed against his chest, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "I'm sorry too, I never meant to say anything until I knew for sure."

"When will you know?" he asked tenderly, rubbing his hand in circles across her back.

"Soon, the results should be in today or tomorrow," she mumbled against his chest.

"Can't you just take one of those stick test things?" Elena pulled back and looked up at his face, she couldn't be sure in the light, but she thought there was a pink tinge to his skin and she smiled.

"I did, they were inconclusive. I had a proper test done by the doctor at home a couple of days ago, it will give more accurate readings."

"And what do you think it will say?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "As if my life wasn't complicated enough it wouldn't surprise me to find out that life has just thrown me more lemons."

He laughed and she felt the vibrations run through her hand and up her arm, almost missing the tingling that crossed her face from his caress, "it may not be so bad, I'm pretty good at making pancakes, they go quite well with lemon juice."

She couldn't help but smile. This was not the reaction she had expected from him. Maybe he was just hoping the test would come back negative and then he wouldn't have to deal with it, he could still walk away. She half hoped it would be negative too, but she couldn't help wondering what it would be like to have her own child.

She was brought back to the present when she felt his hand comb through her hair and his fingers graze her neck and she looked up at his face, "let's get out of here, I know this quiet little cove up the coast, we can drop anchor for a few hours and tonight we can moor up at the marina near that restaurant we went to before then tomorrow we'll just take our time in getting back. How does that sound?"

"Wonderful, but are you sure about this now you know?" she asked.

"I've had a little time to think, the last 2 weeks thinking you already had a baby, seeing you with her yesterday, you'd make a fantastic mother."

"And you? How do you feel?" she asked tapping her fingers on his chest, only to have him take her hand and curl his around it.

"Right now I want to get out of here then I get you all to myself."

* * *

_Next chapter up soon._


	29. Self Control

_I finally got there with this chapter. Hope you like it. I've also realised that it's more post season 5 now than season 4 as I've been able to incorporate certain events from the latest season, although obviously the final episode will not have happened in this universe._

**Part 29 - Self-Control**

They were in an isolated cove a couple of hours sailing from Cairns, a trip that had been extremely relaxed despite the question hanging over them. He had been shown the cove the year before on a fishing trip and although he didn't plan such an activity this time it was the perfect secluded spot with a small beach that could only be reached from the sea and he planned to exploit it to the full. Dutchy threw the anchor line overboard and leaned over the side to tug on the chain, ensuring that it had caught in the sea bed, all the while feeling the prickling extend up his spine that told him she was watching, so he wasn't surprised to see her leaning casually against the door post when he stood up and turned around. She was dressed casually in a pair of beige shorts and a white shirt tied at her waist. Out of the immediate glare of the sun she had pushed her glasses to the top of her head and he noticed she had also scooped her hair up off her shoulders as she stood with her arms folded letting her eyes rest on him.

"Like the view?" he asked standing with his hands on his hips a few feet away.

"What's not to like?" she asked letting her eyes run up and down his body. "It's quiet, nothing around for miles, a sandy beach and a great coastline to explore. I could quite happily stay here forever. Think you could persuade your friend to let me keep the boat?" She gave him a dazzling smile as she taunted him.

He frowned, "just the boat?"

She screwed up her nose in thought, "yeah, I'm not hard to please; I could manage the boat alone."

"So what do I do then?" he asked finally confronting her stepping forward and leaning an arm on the cabin wall just above her head.

"You?" she teased, "well I guess I could just keep you for my own amusement." She trailed her fingers down the front of his tight fitting t-shirt, "of course I might have to keep you chained up to make sure I don't lose you to any passing damsels in distress."

The glint in her eye and the taunt in her voice, combined with the warmth of her hand as she held it in the centre of his chest caused an instant reaction and he was finding it difficult to keep his hands off her. He leaned forward, placing his lips close to her ear, "if you chain me up how can I make you scream with pleasure?" He knew he had caused a reaction when she fisted his shirt in her hand, and she turned her head towards his. "That's what you want, isn't it?" he whispered, his lips brushing hers. "You want me to break your self-control." He grazed his lips across her jaw, "admit it ma'am, for once you want someone else to take charge."

Elena's reaction was instant; she cupped his face with her free hand and drew his lips back to hers and between the hard desperate kisses she gave him she also issued her own instructions, "get. This. Straight." She sealed her lips on his again until she felt him smirk against her mouth. "You. Never. Mention. Any. Of. The. Crew. Understood?" She let her hands drop as she leaned against the bulkhead breathing hard. He resisted the urge to trace his finger over her lips or touch her anywhere else, but her proximity was intoxicating and he could tell by the look in her eyes she could feel it too.

There was something about her that was reaching him on a level no other woman had, she was like a drug and he wanted more, but at the same time he didn't want to become addicted. They stood staring at each other for several minutes, barely inches between them, the atmosphere was electric. He thought about their first meeting at the bar, how conservative she seemed, how in control, but he'd come to realise that there were layers to her and the more he unravelled the more hooked he was becoming. He let his eyes flick over her face, she had made no attempt to escape, she was waiting for him to make the first move, but he was paralysed in his thoughts. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman who could keep him on his toes and he was beginning to think that she was one of that rare breed.

He saw the look of anticipation in her eyes and realised that they couldn't remain where they were forever and as much as he wanted to have his hands (and other bits of his anatomy) all over her, he didn't want sex to be everything. The rain walk on the beach had been a turning point to their first evening and how he had kept his hands off her until they made it to his place he'd never remember. He liked the chase, but right now he hadn't got a clue whether he'd caught her; maybe it was something to do with those levels he was discovering about her. In some ways he hoped he never discovered them all, it would make for an interesting pursuit and one he'd happily stick with.

Dragging his mind away from the myriad of thoughts racing through it he focused back on her, he had no idea how long they had stood there, it seemed she was happy to wait for him to pick up where they left off.

"Am I that scary? You looked like you were about to run away," she asked when he tuned out his inner monologue.

He inched closer, trapping her between him and the bulkhead as he dropped his head to meet hers and their lips met with the same intensity that had been generated in his hallway the night before. After a few seconds he broke the kiss and looked at her, "you remember the night we met?"

She nodded, "you asked a lot of questions."

"Shut up ma'am you're not in control here," he grazed his fingers down her neck, making her shiver as if to emphasise his point. "I've never had a Lieutenant Commander in this situation before and I'm going to enjoy every minute of watching you lose that lady-like self control you think you have. The first time was good, but I guarantee the next will be better, you-" he trailed a finger down her jaw, "just-" the finger grazed the side of her neck and he traced it down the open neck of her shirt and slowly began undoing the buttons, "have to … let .. go," he whispered in her ear as he brought his hand back to her neck and grazing his thumb across the pulse point that seemed to get to her every time.

Hearing her ragged breathing and he smiled, then he leaned up and stepped back putting several feet between them and instructed, "if you change we can go for a swim." He swore that if eyes could fire daggers he'd be on the receiving end of a very nasty injury; however all she could do was glare at him as she tried to keep her composure when he knew she was thinking all sorts of damning thoughts. He couldn't blame her, the only reason he didn't feel his own agony right then was that he was revelling too much in the state he had left her.

…

Elena glared at him while she took a couple of deep breaths, he seemed rather pleased with himself and from the way he had left her feeling she knew he had won the first battle, but it didn't mean he would win the war. He had shown remarkable self-control and as badly as he might want to break hers, she wasn't done yet with him. A plan quickly formed in her mind and as she glared at him he stood on the small deck, trying to appear disinterested. She knew even behind his sunglasses that he was watching her. She was working up the courage to follow her plan through, it wasn't something she was used to, but she felt he was challenging her and she wasn't going to give him what he wanted. She was going to give him a taste of his own medicine so, taking another deep breath she took half a step forward and with her eyes on him she slowly undid the remaining buttons on her shirt, then tugged at the knotted ends and finally let it slide down her arms to land on the deck at her feet. For a moment he seemed distracted by the fluttering garment, but his eyes were back on her as she loosened the belt and quickly dropped her shorts, revealing her turquoise bikini that clung to her curves enticingly. She pulled her sunglasses from her head and dropped them on the benched seat, aware that he was taken by surprise at her move to practically strip in front of him.

She stepped forward and placed her hand firmly on his chest and pushed him back slightly. "This good enough?" she asked in response to his suggestion a moment earlier, then turned away, took a two-step run and dived over the side, surfacing about 10 feet from the boat.

Elena turned to face the boat and could see him standing on the deck glancing between her and the pile of clothes she had left behind. She trod water to keep herself buoyant while she studied him waiting to see how he would respond. She didn't have to wait long; he pulled his t-shirt over his head and threw his sunglasses next to hers before diving over the side after her.

…..

The swim had allowed them to let off some steam before they collapsed side by side on the soft sandy beach they had seen from the boat. For a few minutes they were silent; then he turned his head and looked at her. Her eyes were closed and her expression neutral as she lay basking in the sun, her hair previously swept back was now splayed around her where she had pulled out the band holding it up. He smiled. This was another of those memories of her that were building up in his mind. She looked so serene, unstressed and- before he could finish the thought she interrupted him.

"This was a good idea, I'm glad we came. I needed to get away from everything."

He rolled on his side facing her and reached out, tracing patterns across her stomach. "I aim to please," he smirked. After a few more strokes he rested his hand flat against her abdomen, his voice serious, "do you want to talk now or wait for the test results?"

"I'm under no illusions, marriage and kids aren't high on your agenda, maybe not even at all," she propped herself up leaning on her elbows and looked at him. "I'm a realist Dylan, guys with your reputation they don't stick around; if I am pregnant I'm not going to be making demands on you. You'll be free to continue whatever you want to do." He was shocked that she would base everything on his reputation. The last few months had given him a jolt. Being almost killed in the shark cage was the first, after that he had seen a few women and admittedly slept with them. He had come close with the wretched ASIO woman too, not because he was particularly attracted to her, but because she presented a challenge, in the end he was glad he had walked out on her that night after realising she killed another agent on the ship. In fact that was months ago now and he had only been with Elena since. Even on the last rotation when they stopped off up and down the coast for the odd night ashore he had avoided all female company apart from the ship's female crew and they were strictly off limits.

"I know I've got a reputation, but do you really think I would shirk my responsibilities?" he asked pointedly.

Elena sat up properly and pushed his hand off her stomach. "I don't know Dylan, I don't know you well enough to form an opinion," she snapped. "And you don't know me either, so you should know that I'm not prepared to make life changing decisions based on a simple test result. I need a much better reason than that."

"Like what?" he asked, uncertain what to say in light of her reaction. One thing though was clear, the look of serenity was gone and the stress was visible in her stiffened posture and the way she had pushed him away.

"You claim that I don't know the real you, but so far there's been little to show me who you really are," she pushed herself to her feet and dusted some of the sand away; he sat up and draped his arms over his knees as she continued. "I think we want different things and maybe if I hadn't been posted on the ship it would have been different, but sailors talk, a lot, and I don't want to be the talk of the junior sailor's mess when they find out I'm just another notch on your bedpost. This whole thing was a bad idea. I'm going back to the boat to work out a way of getting home."

Before he could reply she had turned into the water and begun swimming back to the boat, leaving him staring at her from the shore. He scrubbed his hand over his face and tried to work out what had gone wrong so quickly.

…..

Elena was leaving the bedroom, having changed from her bikini into something more practical, when he climbed aboard and stepped into the cabin.

For a moment they stared at each other, then she stepped aside, waiting for him to pass, but he didn't. "Elena, I'm sorry, I'm not sure what I did, but it's clear I stuffed up out there. I'll get changed and take you back to Cairns."

"No, you don't have to do that," she answered quickly and noted the confused look that settled on his face.

"You said-"

"I know what I said and I'm sorry," she interrupted. "I'm just not used to having my personal and professional life so mixed up like this and I guess I'm a little freaked out."

"I think you'll find that happens to all of us sometime. … What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know," she answered quietly.

"Don't bite my head off for this but I have a suggestion," he stopped and seemed to be waiting for her response.

"I'm listening." She wasn't sure what to expect, it seemed totally out of character for him to have such a serious look on his face.

"We'll stick with the plan, dinner up the coast, we start again."

Out of work she had never seen such a serious side to him and for a brief second wondered if this was just all an act, but another part of her brain quickly squashed the idea.

"Dinner was good the last time," she conceded, then realised that he had been standing in the doorway and a puddle had formed at his feet where the water had run off him. "If you've finished dripping everywhere you'd better get cleaned up and dried off. There's a towel on the bed."

"Want to come and help?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and smirking at her.

She shook her head, "I think you're perfectly capable of taking a shower and dressing yourself."

"It's more fun with a partner," he answered flippantly, taking a step towards her, then held up his hands. "Alright, I'll behave, for now." He deliberately caressed her cheek and touched his lips to hers in a light kiss, then disappeared into the cabin. Elena flopped onto one of the benches and picked up a book.

…..

The boat was silent when he emerged from the cabin, but he could see her leaning on the rail at the back of the boat and slowly walked towards her until he was able to stand next to her. She didn't seem to notice his presence and her focus was on the beach where they had been earlier.

"Are you okay?" he ventured, wondering what had got her into the contemplative mood she was in.

She turned and looked at him, but with her sunglasses on he couldn't see her eyes to gauge her emotions. "While you were changing I had a phone call."

He wondered for a few seconds who it could have been and her father was his first thought, but then he remembered she had been waiting for a particular call. "The doctor?" he asked.

This was the moment of truth, he was about to find out if a single night of passion was about to change their lives forever. Her features were neutral, giving nothing away. She seemed in no hurry to give him the answers, maybe she was making him squirm and maybe with his history he deserved it, it was a near miracle that he'd never been in this position before. Then he probably would have walked, but this time things were different, this time he cared about her. She didn't seem inclined to say anymore, possibly afraid of what his reaction would be, leaving him to ask the question.

"What did he say?"

* * *

_I will post the next chapter in a few minutes, ... however I would love some feedback.  
_


	30. Starting Over

_Some of your questions shouls be answered here, hope you like it._

**Part 30 - Starting Over**

Kate pushed open the door of the ship's office and stormed in. "What the hell is going on Mike?" she demanded as she shoved the door closed behind her and letting it bang.

He looked up at her a little bemused. "What?"

"You're on my ship, interrogating my sailors, don't you think I should be here?" she replied angrily earning a firm stare in response.

"I'm following orders Lieutenant Commander, this is an inquiry into the behaviour of two members of the crew," he answered formally.

"Then, Sir" she emphasised the formality. "It should be done in the presence of the CO or XO and seeing as there is currently no XO I will attend the rest of the interviews."

"There's no need, I'm quite capable-"

She interrupted him forcefully, "Sir I'm not questioning your capability, it's protocol to ensure that all parties interests are represented fairly. If you don't want me then I will nominate Swain to act as observer."

"I'm guessing Swain reported back to you that I was here," Mike commented looking at her.

"Not the details of his interrogation, but he did express concerns that it was happening outside of protocol. I'm guessing this has something to do with the questions you asked me earlier about Dutchy and Elena," she stated hoping he'd give her the full story.

She watched his shoulders slump as he looked back briefly at the files in front of him. "Commander White asked me to interview the crew about their behaviour on board. 2-dads said you spoke to them more at the beach yesterday, do you think they're in a relationship?"

"So that's what this is all about?" the tension was going from her voice as a smile spread across her lips.

"Maybe, Maxine was being very evasive. Elena's not being posted back on board and there was reference to the situation being bloody awkward, if I remember her words correctly."

Kate sat down opposite him and rested her arms lightly on the table, "I saw nothing to indicate they're together, but with most of the crew there they may have been hiding it, just like you and I used to do. It was clear they get on together and trust each other and surprisingly he was very good with her niece who seemed taken with him. Scared some of the crew when they thought she called him Daddy. But kids that age are just learning and it's her way of pronouncing Dutchy, it was funny though to see all their reactions."

"Is it possible they knew each other before and that's part of the reason she's here, to make him face up to his responsibilities?"

"No, the child is her niece, she's been babysitting for her sister-in-law, the grandparents came through this morning and took Nikki back to Sydney with them." Kate sat for a moment and watched a sparkle appear in Mike's eye then she let out a brief laugh, "Mike Flynn! You're stirring! Are you enjoying this? Have you stopped to think how it would have looked if Knocker had conducted a similar inquiry while we were on board?"

The spark in his eye disappeared and was replaced by a more intense and darker look. "We did nothing wrong."

"No we didn't," she confirmed. "Do you really think that the CO of a ship would have an on board relationship?"

"It's happened before," he commented evasively.

"Dutchy's got a reputation that's true, but all the women we know he's dated have been outside the Navy and I don't think Elena would compromise her position," Kate answered.

"So you think this is a waste of time?" he asked.

"If we know what Knocker thinks she does then we might be able to answer that. Who have you spoken to so far?"

"Swain, 2-dads and a few others."

"Have they said anything?" she pressed.

"If there was anything it appears no one saw anything. But I have to talk to the rest of the crew, RO and Charge are on their way and Bird and Ryan will be on watch in an hour."

"Has anyone asked Dutchy for his side of the story?"

"I talked to him this morning, I told you, he was a bit evasive about her, claimed she was a good captain, but then I wasn't tasked with an inquiry into his behaviour with a commanding officer."

"Then maybe someone should ask him," Kate replied and watched as Mike shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat.

"Is NAVCOM softening you up? You had no issue with Bomber and 2-dads," she prodded with a smile.

Mike frowned, "that was different, Swain caught them red-handed."

"Fine, I'll do it," she muttered pulling out her phone.

…..

Elena watched him as he crossed the bar towards her and placed their drinks on the table. "There should be a table in the restaurant in about half an hour," he announced as he sat down opposite her.

"That's good," she answered, reaching for her drink, but he stopped her resting his hand on hers.

"You've been quiet for a while, something wrong?" he asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," she answered and tried to give him a reassuring smile.

"You're not fooling me, you're still thinking about what happened this afternoon." It was a statement more than a question and she just stared at their hands. "You're thinking about what if the test result had been different."

"I guess it's inevitable, I've had Nikki living with me the last 2 weeks and to think that I might have been-" she stopped and looked up. "Now's not a good time for me to be worrying about starting a family, we were lucky. The only problem is that I dropped us in it with NAVCOM for nothing."

She felt him turn her hand over and his thumb graze across her wrist sending sparks up her arm, making her glance down.

"Forget the Navy for tonight; we'll deal with it when we're back in Cairns. Tonight it's just you and me," he insisted quietly, continuing to trace circles on her wrist.

The tiny tingles shooting up her arm began to run across her shoulders and down her spine, stimulating her body's endorphins and helping her to relax, however it reached a point where it turned from soothing to irritating and she drew her hand away. "How do you feel?" she asked, looking at his face again.

"I'm not sorry everyone knows, I don't want to sneak around with you, nothing good comes of it, I learnt that lesson when Laurel Andrews set me up," he paused and ran his hand over his face and then looked at her and she saw something she hadn't seen in him before, he looked defeated. That woman had really messed with his head. Elena leaned forward and rested her hand on his arms. She could feel the tension in his muscles as he leant on the table.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I know you know what happened with her, I had my doubts about her husband's death, but I never thought she'd try it on me. She had the whole thing planned from the start, if 2-dads hadn't told the CO where I'd gone-" he stopped and took her hand, curling his fingers in hers.

"I'm glad he did or we wouldn't have met," she encouraged quietly. "You're a good man Dylan and I'm glad you're here."

"I don't want to stuff this up, you're an amazing woman and it may have been just one night, but I want more, I want us to start over, no secrets, no history," he answered, .

"Are you really suggesting starting from the beginning?" she questioned.

"You have another idea?"

She was quiet for a few seconds as she tried to quickly work out in her head how to answer. "I have lots of ideas, but I've decided I'm not going to let your reputation get to me, you're here with me and I'm going to enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts."

She noted the ghost of a smile that crossed his lips as he leaned further over the table towards her, his hand clamped firmly around her own.

"Do you want to share any of those ideas?" he asked.

"Maybe later," she smiled, tracing her finger over the chain around her neck and only stopping when she reached the pendant which stopped just above her cleavage. She knew he had the idea when his eyes followed her finger. She reached out and slid her fingers under his chin raising his head so their eyes met again and she grazed her thumb across his lips briefly before removing her hand, "what do you want Dylan?"

She watched his eyes as they flicked over her face, she saw a myriad of emotions run through them, making her wonder what his answer would be. She expected some flippant remark, but there was no glint of amusement in his eyes when he eventually spoke, "a future, one where I don't have to go after women in bars, one where I don't have to worry about Navy regulations getting in the way." He paused briefly seeming to gather his thoughts again, "There's this ranch up near Port Douglas that's caught my eye, it's got me thinking." Now she saw the glint in his eyes and the smile creep across his lips, softening their outline, her fingers itched to touch them again, but he still had something to say, "I might ask the owner if they'd like a partner, I could inject some cash into the business, help them over a rough patch, call it an investment in my future. Of course the owner's daughter's pretty hot too."

Elena felt her cheeks flush and ducked her head, letting her hair fall forwards. He didn't let her escape his scrutiny for long and she felt his fingers under her chin, coaxing her to look up. When she did, she was greeted by that smile of his that made her knees go weak and he looked at her expectantly.

For a moment she just let his words race round her mind, until he let her hand go and reached for their, so far untouched, drinks and held out the wine glass to her before lifting the bottle of beer, "what do you say? Think we can work something out?"

"I don't know, you've-, are you-, I don't know, I'll have to think about it, the ranch I mean," her thoughts tumbled from her mouth almost unchecked, she had never expected him to offer her a lifeline for the ranch, but if she accepted could she still work with him on it, she knew he would want a say in how things were run, it would have to be a proper business arrangement and what would happen if they ever split up? He lightly grazed his thumb across her cheek, bringing her back to reality. "Maybe."

He raised his bottle of beer towards the glass suspended in her hand, "then I propose a toast … to the future." As lightly as he chinked the bottle against the glass, her surprise at his bold move had left her shaking and her glass wobbled spilling wine all over her fingers.

He just smiled and removed the glass from her hand before lifting it to his lips. Elena lost all sense of reality for the next few moments as he gently sucked the spilled wine from each of her fingers. When she came down to earth again he was finishing the job with a napkin. She quickly looked around to see if anyone was taking any notice of them.

"We're safe, no one's looking. …but you know what, I like that look on you, all flustered and hot," he whispered, handing her back her glass, think you can hold it this time?" he asked with a wicked grin. "Because I'm more than willing to repeat the clean-up."

Elena glared at him briefly, then smiled, "why am I not surprised?" she taunted, then took the glass, waited for him to pick up his beer and this time she chinked her glass against his bottle, "the future."

While he swallowed several mouthfuls of his beer she was daintier and took a few lady-like sips from her glass, then set it down on the table and dipped her finger in the wine and quickly trailed it around her pendant, once again drawing his eyes towards her cleavage.

"You can clean it up later."

…..

Mike dropped his keys on the coffee table in the lounge and followed Kate into the kitchen.

"What do you want for dinner?"

He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder and peered into the open fridge. "I was thinking we could order in, give us more time to make up for me not having my day off," he whispered in her ear.

Kate flipped the fridge closed and turned in his arms, draping hers around his neck, "you know that's the best offer I've had all day. What do you want? Chinese, Thai, Pizza?"

He leaned his head forward and captured her lips in a brief but passionate kiss. "You," he answered when he released her and kept his eyes on hers as they sparkled in the low light while he waited for her to say something.

However their moment was not to last, a phone rang and they reluctantly pulled apart a little to enable Mike to fish the object from his pocket. "Commander White," he breathed, his thumb hovering over the button to answer the call.

"What are you going to tell her?"

He thought for a few seconds, "that there's no evidence of impropriety and if they are together they kept it off the ship."

"I think it's the right call. To do anything else we have to report ourselves too," Kate sighed.

Mike nodded his assent and pressed the button just before the call was sent to voicemail, "Maxine, what can I do for you?"

…..

The evening had passed better than Dutchy had expected and a nice meal had lead into them finding the local night life. The nightclub had reminded him of some they had been in while in foreign ports, and while the local crowd filled the place it had necessitated some close contact on the dance floor, not that she seemed to mind and it was after midnight when they finally decided to leave. He draped his arm over her shoulder as she snaked hers around his waist as they walked back along the promenade towards the marina.

Once aboard and inside the boat, he paused long enough to secure the door to the deck then followed her to the master cabin, stripping off his shirt en-route. He leant against the doorframe and folded his arms over his chest as he watched her; she reached up and removed the necklace that had taunted him all evening as it rested at the top of her cleavage and it reminded him of her promise earlier. If she knew he was there she never let on as she lay the chain in her jewellery case and added her earrings, watch and the ring that had adorned her right hand. He admired her figure in the slinky black dress she had chosen to wear for dinner and let his eyes wander over her noting she still wore the strappy sandals that provided a few crucial inches to her height and elongated her legs. He was brought back to her upper body when he heard a soft click and realised she was adding a CD to the player on the counter. He didn't recognise the music, but that wasn't earth shattering, he wasn't one for the latest bands or pop stars, however it seemed pleasant enough.

He watched her reach up to undo the zip on her dress and debated whether to stay and watch or to help; it wasn't a hard decision, he'd resisted touching her most of the night, contenting himself with taunting her with words, but now behind closed doors he wanted to deliver what he had promised her earlier. It only took two steps before he was standing close behind her and he rested his hands on hers and slowly removed them, dropping them gently at her sides he returned to his self-appointed task and scooped her hair from her neck and fingered the zip before drawing it down. He watched her eyes meet his in the small mirror before them and slipped his fingers onto her shoulders, his thumbs tracing circles across her skin, making her shiver, her hands shooting up to rest on his, stalling him for a moment.

He took her hands and drew them away, resting them back at her side. He never spoke just returned his hands to her shoulders and gradually slipped her dress out of the way letting it slide down her body and pool at her feet, leaving her standing in the black sexy lingerie he'd caught a glimpse of earlier. He drew out the moment and traced his fingers over her skin, his eyes again locked on hers in the mirror and feeling the tiny shivers run through her as he stimulated her nerves. It didn't take long before her breathing hitched, her eyes closed and her head fell back against his shoulder at the same time as he pulled her closer with his arm around her waist. Her hair tickled his chest and he could feel the bulge in his trousers press against her back. Placing his hand flat against her abdomen, he could feel the heat from her skin running up his arm and he quickly spun her around to seal his lips on hers. Her warm hands against his back pulled them closer for a few seconds before she traced her fingers around the waistband of his trousers and she separated them enough to undo his belt.

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_Next chapter was an addition for some readers on SP site, so you get the bonus too.  
_


	31. Who's the boss?

_With a little follow up from where things left off and a return to dry land I've reached 31 chapters! I never thought there would be this many when I started and now I need to work out where things go from here. Meanwhile, I hope you like this …._

**Part 31 - Who's the boss?**

Elena slowly became aware of a light touch across her shoulder then the rhythmic beat of a heart under her head and she opened her eyes briefly to be greeted by the early strains of sunlight reaching its fingers across the cabin. Not wanting to give away her moment of indulgence she closed her eyes and made a quick assessment of her situation; she was comfortably snuggled up against a warm body and using his broad chest as a pillow while her arm draped across his stomach. She could feel the sheet resting against her lower back while his fingers continued to trace patterns across her shoulder. She wanted to enjoy the moment, but it was getting increasingly harder to resist the sensations he was creating as he stroked his fingers down her back sending sparks shooting down her spine.

Finally she raised her head and looked at him as his arms wrapped around her preventing her from moving too far.

"Hey, you woke up," he greeted with a smile and a wicked glint in his eye.

"You woke me up, what's wrong with getting some sleep?" she pouted, trying to ignore the way he was looking at her.

"Sleep's overrated, I got something better for us to do," he was still smiling.

Elena rested her hand on his chest to support herself as he pulled her closer, "is that right?" she countered giving him a smile of her own and shivering as his fingers trailed down her spine again earning her one of his mesmerising looks.

"Yeah, we don't have to be in Cairns until tonight, we've got all day."

"So what do you have in mind?" she asked only to find herself flipped onto her back as he began trailing his fingers down her side.

"I guess you're about to find out," he teased, lowering his head to capture her lips, while pulling the tangled sheet off her.

When he came up for air she watched the expression on his face change as he looked at her before ducking his head and kissing the spot where her pendant had rested the night before, his fingers still drawing patterns down the side of her skin, making her arch her body into him.

"I think you cleaned up all the wine last night," she gasped.

"Just making sure," he mumbled before capturing her lips again.

…..

Elena was on deck when she spotted the ship in the distance, she knew it wouldn't be Hammersley but it was one of the patrol boats and judging by the course and speed it was heading home, probably after the clean-up operation from the storms. They were too far away to identify which vessel exactly and she really wasn't bothered, she just hoped that they'd keep their distance and decide not to check out the boat in the isolated cove.

Dutchy was inside cooking breakfast and had insisted she make the most of the quiet cove he had taken them to in the early hours of the morning while she slept and before he had decided on her wake-up call. Enticed by the smell from the tiny galley she turned her back on the passing vessel and headed inside, picking up the shirt Dutchy had discarded the night before and pulling it over her head, covering the bikini she had put on after her shower and keeping her warm in the still cool morning air.

…..

Meanwhile the young crew on watch aboard the vessel had been alert to the small craft anchored in the cove and following protocol had taken a closer look; the EOD picking up some nice close up shots of the boat, allowing them to identify it.

"They're not broadcasting a transponder signal and there's nobody on board as far as I can tell," one of the crew announced as he monitored the displays in front of him.

Another crew member stood behind him and suddenly reached over and adjusted the view on the EOD display and let out a wolf-whistle, "I wouldn't call her nobody, get a look at this Syd, she'd look great on your trophy wall."

Another sailor joined the first two at the screen as their XO jogged up the stairs just ahead of their CO. "Alright boys what's all the excitement?"

"A small fishing craft X, seems to be anchored in the cove, there's a woman on board, no sign of anyone else, but she's not answering hails and there's no transponder signal," the senior sailor overseeing the station announced.

"If they're at anchor they don't need to display one, although most do, does it look like the woman's in trouble?" asked the CO.

"Hard to say boss, we only got a quick look at her," one sailor answered.

"And I'm sure that's all it took," chided the X gently.

"Ma'am, that's unfair" protested the senior sailor.

"If the young lady's not answering the radio I think you'd better go check it out X, just to be sure," the ship's CO advised.

"Yes Sir. Razor, Syd, with me," ordered the XO as she turned and headed down the stairs from the bridge.

Razor, the ship's buffer turned to his crew mate, "better find Gracie in case the young lady needs medical attention."

Their voices still echoed after they had left the bridge.

…..

"Breakfast smells good," she announced stopping next to him and watching him flip the contents of the frying pan.

"Can you get some milk for the coffee?" he asked and she briefly turned away.

"Sure." She began opening the fridge door, "looks like one of the patrol boats is just passing on its way south. I'm guessing it's Kingston, I had a message from Megan yesterday to say she should be home soon."

He began serving up their food and glanced over his shoulder when she went quiet and didn't reappear at his side. "You don't have to milk a cow," he teased.

"Who says I am? … looks like the fridge is out." He put down the pan and joined her in front of the machine.

"Maybe a fuse blew; I'll check it after breakfast."

He knew it wasn't going to be a simple suggestion when she spoke again. "The radio's awfully quiet too; do you still think it's just a fuse?"

He took her hands and pulled her to her feet, "It'll be fine, now sit and eat."

"Only if you do too, you need to keep your strength up for later," she taunted as she ran her fingers down his still naked chest, causing him to capture her wrist in his large hand and thread the other in her hair and lower his lips to hers.

Unfortunately he wasn't able to control the moment for long as she slipped from his grasp and pushed them apart, "Do you hear that?"

"Stop evading ma'am, today there's no argument, you're mine," he teased only to have her block his attempt to kiss her again.

"Dylan, I'm serious, listen."

For a moment he decided to indulge her and focused on the sounds around them, then he frowned, "sounds like a RHIB."

"The patrol boat?"

"You said there were no other ships around. It has to be. You want to check it out?" he asked.

"Fine, you'd better go find another shirt."

….

The Kingston's XO watched over her boarding party as the RHIB approached the vessel and was about to issue instructions regarding weapons when she saw the figure appear on the deck and nearly died of shock.

"Holster your weapons," she instructed urgently as they drew alongside.

"X, we don't know-"

"Razor, trust me we're safe. Syd, kill the video," she replied as the first two members of the RHIB jumped aboard. The young lieutenant swiftly followed them.

"Ma'am, are you the only person on board?" Razor asked quickly, taking up a defensive stance, his hand hovering near his now holstered weapon.

"No," Elena answered honestly, but paused over what title to give the man aboard with her and she glanced nervously at the officer with them.

"Elena?" the Lieutenant greeted in surprise, then as if realising who was present suddenly became more formal. "Ma'am, good to see you, sorry I wasn't in Cairns to meet you," she continued adding a brief salute which Elena returned.

"You too Lieutenant. Don't worry about not being home, I know the Navy's call all too well. I've been well looked after." She adapted to the lieutenant's formal approach in order to allow her to conduct her business.

"So what are you doing out here miles from anywhere?"

"Elena, I think it might be the wiring, the lights don't work either. I'll try and take a look when I get the tool kit, what did you spot out here?" Dutchy's voice drifted out to the people on deck seconds before he stepped through the doorway to be faced with several hastily drawn weapons.

"Okay guys let's take it easy-" he never got to finish his sentence.

"Dutchy?" Razor exclaimed, clearly surprised at the encounter and replacing his gun in the holster.

"Yeah it's me, now what?"

"Good to see you mate, although looks like we interrupted something," Razor answered swiftly with a quick glance at Elena.

"Razor, watch your tongue," the Lieutenant snapped, hastily looking around her crew for any dissenters. "I think some introductions are in order, Lt-Cdr Larkin, may I present my team, Razor's our buffer, Syd, our ET and Gracie our Swain."

A quick shuffling of feet on the deck soon had the named individuals standing to attention and giving the senior officer a quick salute, which she returned. "At ease gentlemen, I'm off duty it's Elena, or if you prefer, Sky, my call-sign in my early days. Dutchy here is buffer of Hammersley."

After brief handshakes for those who had not met before, the lieutenant smiled at Elena, "is everything alright here? We were passing and couldn't pick up a transponder or raise you on the radio."

"It's an old tub, belongs to a mate of mine, I think there's a short in the electrics; I was going to take a look."

"Need a hand?" asked Syd stepping forward.

"Actually that would be great, I can do a lot of things, but wiring and stuff is not my strong point," Dutchy replied and with a brief glance at Elena he moved inside with Syd and Razor.

The lieutenant looked at Elena, "he the one looking after you?" she asked, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

"Maybe," Elena answered quietly.

"I thought you'd gone up to the ranch to spend time with your dad."

"I had, returned to Cairns yesterday to bring Nikki back to her grandparents while Jess is on a mission. I've had a tough time up at the ranch and Dutchy brought me out here to de-stress."

"It looks like it worked. We'll have to get together when we get back and catch up. I heard you got pierhead jumped to command a patrol boat after the storms."

"Yeah, I was on Hammersley for a few weeks."

"And now, are you back in Cairns properly yet?"

"Yeah, start work in NAVCOM tomorrow."

"So where are you living?" aksed Megan.

"I've still got to find a place, I've spent all of 2 nights in Cairns since I arrived."

"You know I've got a spare room if you want somewhere better than the local motel." Elena glanced back inside and Megan's expression changed to one of surprise, she looked over her shoulder to check that Gracie wasn't too close, then she turned back to Elena, "you're not staying at the motel!" she exclaimed. "Ellie, what's come over you? It's not like you to shack up with some random guy and you've never dated a sailor."

"Megs, not here, we'll talk later. … I promise."

Megan relented, she didn't want to have an in depth conversation with half her team around, too many things might be said that could come back to haunt them. "Alright, but soon or I'll be coming after you."

"I'll call you later."

…..

Meanwhile the guys had entered the cabin and Syd had started looking at the electrical system, while Dutchy and Razor looked on.

"So, you and the CO?" Razor started. "That's got to be a first, random women in bars is normal for you, but a naval officer?"

"Sh, she'll hear you," Dutchy attempted to quieten his mate.

"And why would that be a problem, normally you don't-" Razor's expression changed to one of complete astonishment. "Either you didn't know she was Navy when you picked her up or you've actually got a thing for her, or is it both?"

Syd chuckled to himself as he assessed the wiring around the fuse box. Dutchy looked around warily, only to have Razor pounce on him again, "so where did you meet?"

With a final glance outside and seeing Elena and the Lieutenant in quiet discussion he finally cracked, "fine, it was Iggy's."

Razor laughed, "I can't blame you mate, not many officers appear in there unless they're with a crew and I take it she was all alone and you just swooped in."

Dutchy glanced outside again as Syd, squealed and a shower of sparks flew at him from the fuse box sending him sprawling at their feet. When he picked himself up he glanced between the two sailors and the fuse box, "you're right, there's a short, now I've found it, shouldn't take too long to fix. Must say Dutchy, you owe us big time when we get back, I'm sure you don't want Hammersley finding out about your little rendezvous with the CO."

"Yeah, gloat all you want, it's already going to be all over Cairns, Commander Flynn interrogated half the crew yesterday and practically told the biggest gossips the deal anyway. We're meeting them for drinks tonight back at Iggy's, I expect you'll all be there too."

"First night ashore, are you kidding? You think we'd miss it?" Razor practically cheered. "Must say though mate, she's a lot hotter than most of the Officers we get posted round here. Of course our XO is one of the exceptions."

"I'd be careful saying that around Elena, they're good friends," Dutchy warned.

"I'll tell you mate, if we weren't serving on the same ship I'd be knocking on her door, I never thought about dating an officer until I met her."

Finally the problem was fixed and the Kingston's RHIB departed and Elena and Dutchy ducked back into the cabin where Elena flopped onto the couch. "You know it was going to be bad with just Hammersley?" he asked, not expecting her to reply.

"You're mates are going to turn up and make it 100 times worse?" she answered.

"Something like that. I'm sorry breakfast got ruined, I'm all out of pancake stuff, so I can't make more."

"That's okay, I'm not hungry now anyway." She stretched out and watched as he perched on the edge and ran his hand up her leg.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked giving her a mischievous grin.

…..

Dutchy paused at the door to the bar, he could already hear the noise of the crew inside, Charge and 2-dads voices rising above the rest, but he couldn't exactly avoid them a second time. Having spoken to Kate the day before he knew there was certainly a lot of speculation about his love life, again. He hoped by arriving alone, he could dispel some of the rumours and protect Elena from the fall out, at least for a little while.

"Hey Dutchy, you look a little rattled, is everything alright?" a young female voice asked as they reached for the door handle and stopped at his side.

"Hey, they dragged you out tonight too?" he replied giving her a warm smile.

"No dragging involved, but they do want to know what's going on with you and Lt-Cdr Larkin. Are you coming in?"

"I may as well face them now; it's not going to go away," he sighed.

Bird looked up at him and smiled nervously. "Do you remember that night in the galley after the storm?" she asked looking up at him with big wide eyes.

"What about it?"

"I told you where to find her on purpose. It seemed like you both needed someone to talk to," she answered. "Did I do the right thing?"

Dutchy seemed to think for a moment. Bird may seem so young at times, but she still had a pretty good read on people. "Yeah, Chicken legs you did the right thing. Now, I'd better go own up hadn't I?"

"I think they'll be happy for you, I am," she replied earnestly as she pulled open the door, allowing them to enter. The crew quickly spotted them and called them over to the tables they had pulled together in a corner of the pub.

"Out to play on your own Dutchy?" piped up 2-dads as Bird went to join Ryan and some of the younger crew at another table. "Thought you might have blown us off again in favour of a rendezvous with your secret woman."

"We're not attached at the hip," Dutchy responded quickly without thinking as Swain handed him a beer.

"It's not the hip I was thinking about," 2-dads grinned cheekily.

"Ouch, he got you there mate," Swain chuckled.

"So where is the woman of the moment?" Charge asked. "Don't we get to meet her properly?"

"Another time, she's having dinner with a friend tonight. It's up to her if she chooses to meet you rabble again."

"She laying down the law already? Dutchy you got to stand up to her man, tell her who's the boss," scoffed 2-dads earning himself a glare from the Hammersley Buffer. "Oh yeah, she's got you whipped buddy, you should tell her to leave the stripes off when she's out of uniform, so you can lay down a little law of your own."

"2-dads, you have no idea," he looked at Bomber who looked rather pissed off, he decided to have a little fun of his own in return. "I think you just got yourself a whole heap of trouble later, you've still got a lot to learn about women, would you agree Bomber?"

She looked up and softened the glare to give him a smile, "thanks, Dutchy, I will make sure he pays attention." As those gathered at the table began to laugh she leaned over and whispered something in 2-dads ear, leaving him staring at his ship mates in shock.

* * *

_I thought it was time 2-dads got a little pay-back. I've posted over 10 chapters now without a review, some feedback would be nice or I might consider not posting any more here.  
_


	32. Admissions

_Due to readers requests from another site wanting to be flies on the wall during certain conversations, this is for them, so you have all gained an extra chapter. _

**Part 32 - Admissions**

Megan and some of her crew were heading towards the pub to enjoy their first proper R&R in almost a month; Razor, Syd and her were in one cab while the rest piled into a second one behind them.

"X, can I ask you a question?" Razor began a little warily.

"You're going to ask anyway so go ahead," she sighed, knowing what to expect after their encounter with her best friend and the Hammersley Buffer that morning.

"Do you think Lt-Cdr Larkin will be at the pub tonight?"

Megan shook her head, "no, we're having dinner in town; she's going to pick me up from the pub."

"Did she say if Dutchy's joining you?"

"No, he's meeting his crew for drinks I believe," she answered only to receive an evil chuckle from her Buffer in response. "Razor, no tricks, I know he's a friend of yours, but please remember there's a senior officer involved in this and I'm sure the gossip doesn't need to be all round NAVCOM tomorrow."

"It's no fun if we can't have a little dig X," Syd piped up, trying to turn around and look at her from the front seat.

"Syd, it's one thing to pick on some random woman you guys are prone to picking up in bars, but have some respect, this time everyone in the bar will now know her and if they don't they will very soon when she starts work at NAVCOM. Besides all we know is that they were out together on the boat we don't know that anything is actually going on."

"But you know her X, what do you think is going on?" Razor asked, nudging her arm.

"Razor, I'm warning you, no tricks, no jokes, they'll tell us what's happening when they're ready, assuming anything is happening," she warned.

"I bet Hammersley will be talking about it," Syd moaned, "so why can't we?"

"That will be up to their officers to deal with, don't you leave us with a bad reputation. Take the higher ground, no matter how much you want to do otherwise," she instructed firmly.

"And what will you be doing ma'am?" Razor asked, nudging her arm again and giving her a genuine but disarming smile when she looked at him.

"Razor, quit trying to get round me with that look, I'm not going to discuss Elena with you."

"We're here." Syd announced from the front seat as he pulled out his wallet to pay the cab. "You're turn to pay going back Razor."

Everyone piled out of the cabs and Razor hung back for a moment as everyone moved as if a single wave towards the bar which was already echoing with the numerous voices inside.

Megan looked up and down the rows of cars then turned to her Buffer. "You don't have to wait,"

"Just want to make sure you're safe ma'am."

"Razor, we're not on a boarding now, head in with the others, that's an order." She tried to give him a stern look, but couldn't help the half smile that crossed her face.

"As you wish X. Have a good evening."

….

Elena set her glass back on the table and waited for the waitress to clear away the plates from their meal before putting her friend on the spot, "Meg, you've been hedging all night, get to the point."

Megan raised her own glass and looked thoughtful for a few minutes. "I know it wouldn't have been in your plans for us to come across you and Dutchy this morning, but tell me how much exactly did we interrupt?"

"Breakfast," Elena answered simply and they were quiet for a minute.

"Breakfast?" Megan echoed eventually. "That's all you've got to say? Breakfast?"

"It's true, he'd just served breakfast and it went cold while you helped us out," Elena stressed, before taking a sip of her wine.

"I think you've got a lot of explaining to do," her friend countered.

Elena finally caved in and gave her friend a firm look, "you promise this goes no further? Not to your team, not to anyone?"

"I promise, I've never told anyone anything you've said."

Elena nodded and taking a sip of her wine thought of her options. "Alright. We met the night of the storms. The night you stood me up at the pub because you were kept at sea," she explained. "He bought me a drink, when you didn't show he also took me to dinner."

Megan smiled, "and after dinner you ended up spending the night together?"

"Yeah, … I know, not something I do," Elena answered with more than a hint of guilt. "But for one night I felt reckless, I was dreading what I would find when I saw Dad, then there's the whole starting a new job, for one night I needed something for me and he was there."

"Did you know he was Navy?"

"Yes, but I never told him I was. He found out the hard way the next day when I was posted to Hammersley for the storm clean up. Talk about awkward."

"But you got through it." Megan answered reassuringly.

"I guess you could say that, but when we got home, Jess was waiting for me with Nikki and I took off to the ranch, I came back day before yesterday."

"Well it looks like you spent last night alone together on the boat, what about the night before?"

"Nikki and I were at his place. … A lot of stuff came out during that patrol, …. He knows about Niko."

"So what happens now?"

"Honestly Meg I don't know, and now NAVCOM are investigating what happened while I was on board. Commander Flynn has been interviewing the crew, … Dutchy says they don't know anything, but they're not stupid, some of them may have guessed, but whether they admit it is another matter and I have no idea what to expect." Elena went quiet and Megan studied her for a moment.

"There's something else, what aren't you telling me? You said Nikki's been with you, how did he take that?"

Elena lifted her glass and slowly took several large sips of her wine, before resting it back on the table and glancing round. "He thought she was mine at first, but then I never really explained to him who Niko was either. I thought I was pregnant."

"What did he say when you told him the whole story about how you and Jess have practically raised Nikki together. Wait … you thought you were pregnant?"

Elena nodded, "for about a week and I've told NAVCOM."

"You told them you thought you were pregnant? Elena what were you thinking?" Megan hissed, trying to keep her voice down so as not to cause a stir in the middle of the busy restaurant.

"I wasn't, they were going to send me back to Hammersley as the temporary XO, I needed something to stop them."

"So you told them you thought you were pregnant? Did they ask about the father?"

Elena nodded. "I told them everything and now I've done it all for nothing because I'm not."

"And how have you determined that?" Elena glared at her friend.

"I had a doctor up near the ranch run a test. He called yesterday with the results, says that my blood results are all off and he's put it down to stress, says if nothing's changed in a few weeks to get a second opinion."

"And you're sure it's not-?"

"I'm sure. Now I have to face the music with Commander White tomorrow and accept the consequences."

"What does he say about all of this?" Megan asked, bringing the conversation back to the man in her best friend's life.

"He's actually been good about the whole thing. He was a bit pissed when I refused to discuss Niko with him at the beginning, but now we've been able to talk and he knows everything, he's been fantastic with Nikki and when I let slip about the pregnancy he seemed okay with the idea, of course he's probably completely relieved that I'm not," Elena vented, pleased to have someone to discuss things with that knew her and who she knew wouldn't brag to the nearest loud mouth around, not that she didn't trust Dutchy, she did, but talking to him wasn't the same as talking to one of her oldest friends.

"So what now?" Megan asked when she finally got an opportunity to speak.

"I guess that all depends on what happens tomorrow. Speaking of which, there's a few things I need to sort out, so I should get going."

Megan fixed Elena with a hard stare. "So that's it? You're just leaving?"

"I did say I could only meet for a couple of hours."

"Elena, where are you staying tonight?" Elena ducked her head and took great interest in the tablecloth. "You're staying with him again?" Megan pressed eventually when her friend didn't answer.

"All my stuff is still at his place," she admitted, finally looking up.

"You do know he's got a reputation for picking up random women in bars don't you?"

"I know all about his reputation and I know it's likely to be a short lived relationship, but right now I just want something for me and maybe I'm using him as much as he's using me, but he makes me feel good and with all the other stuff going on I need a distraction," Elena answered, a little surprised at her own admission.

"You know something?" Megan replied. "You're screwed, Elena, you don't do one night stands or using people, you might be trying to convince yourself that this is all free and easy, but the truth is you've actually fallen for him, I could tell from the moment I saw you this morning."

Elena stared at her friend. "I'm not, I haven't," she answered, her flustered statements doing little to convince anyone there was any truth in them.

…..

After the initial ribbing by the team, things had settled down somewhat for Dutchy, well that was until the crew from Kingston walked in.

"Don't look now, but the enemy has landed," cooed Charge as the group made their way to the bar. "Should've known they'd be trying a takeover the minute they got back."

"They're alright. Just because Spider got trussed up like a Christmas Turkey and lost Thor we can't hold it against them forever, especially when most of the old crew have gone," Swain counselled graciously.

"Yeah but they've still got Spicy Donger as their CO and the prime culprits for the rip off," Charge grunted looking at Razor and Syd as they approached the bar.

"Well if you will indulge in such childish pranks you deserve to be caught out occasionally," muttered RO, having no sympathy for the predicament their crew mate had found himself in. "If you don't encourage them they won't bite back."

Dutchy wondered for a moment what they were all talking about, then Swain looked at him and obviously picked up his confusion. "Young Spider on one of his first watches was caught asleep at the wheel, so to speak and paid the ultimate price."

"The theft from under his very nose, of our mascot, Thor!" Charge continued with a growl. "From them," he flicked his thumb at the sailors behind him currently placing their order at the bar.

"I won't ask," Dutchy answered, not wanting to get embroiled in a turf war which would give him divided loyalties.

Once they were served, Razor and Syd carefully skirted the Hammersley group and found seats nearby, but not before passing some loud comments about their rendezvous earlier that morning.

"I never knew commanding officers could be that hot, shame she had to cover that body with his shirt before we boarded," the younger almost cackled as they passed.

"Syd, eyes off, you heard the X, it's a personal matter and we stay out of it," Razor responded forcefully

Dutchy couldn't avoid hearing them and he knew that was their intention, they were only doing it to rile him, make him react, but for a few seconds he wasn't sure how to. If it had been any other woman he would have given them some flippant remark, but now he wasn't sure. He thought back to the time on the boat earlier when he was with them while Syd fixed the electrics, he wasn't sure he'd given them the right impression. They seemed far too eager to hear all the details and he knew that at some point during the evening they would try to get him to say more. He didn't want to give details, he didn't want them ribbing him about her, he didn't want to talk about her, okay well maybe he did, but not in the way they intended. He looked across at Swain and saw his wedding ring glint in the light as he raised his glass to his mouth.

It was another one of those moments, one that seems to come flying at you out of the blue, one you don't expect, but seeing Swain's ring he began to grasp the enormity of the feelings that had been nipping at his heels for the last few weeks. When she wasn't there he realised that he actually missed her. It was immediately compounded by the thought that whatever he had said to Razor and Syd earlier had been taken completely the wrong way, he needed to set the record straight.

With a look around the team gathered in conversation he stood up and under the pretext of going to the bar for more drinks he disappeared in the crowd towards the two Kingston crew who were preparing a game at the dart board in the corner.

"Thought you were going to ignore us," Syd greeted.

"No one can ever ignore you Syd, but I did wonder if you were going to say anything about this morning."

"We're under instructions," Razor replied with more than a hint of disappointment. "I don't fancy incurring the wrath of our XO."

"I'm glad." Dutchy answered. "She's a smart woman."

"So Dutchy are you going to tell us what the deal is with you and the Lt-Cdr?" Syd asked, not so keen to drop the subject.

"There is no deal," Dutchy countered without explanation.

"So you pick her up here one night and you both end up at your place and there's no deal, doesn't sound like you mate," Razor quipped, throwing his first darts.

"I obviously didn't make myself clear enough this morning, Elena's off limits." For a few seconds silence reigned, then Syd and Razor exchanged looks.

"I just thought I heard you say she's off limits," Razor replied handing Dutchy the darts he had just extracted from the board.

"I did," Dutchy launched his first dart at the board while the others stood in stunned silence.

Finally after a glance at each other they moved to stand shoulder to shoulder in front of him. "You're serious?" Razor asked.

"Since when has one of your hook-ups been an off-limits conversation?" Syd continued.

"She's not a hook-up," he growled as he slammed the remaining darts on the table nearby and heading towards the bar.

"Told you he was in over his head," Razor told Syd as they looked at each other then shook hands.

…..

Dutchy ordered the round of drinks to be taken to the Hammersley table, then taking his beer he headed out onto the balcony and stood leaning against the rail, just where he had been before, the night they met.

Swain pushed open the door and joined him, standing quietly at his side for a moment.

"Something you want to talk about?" Swain asked after a few minutes.

"I think I've stuffed up mate," Dutchy answered disconsolately.

"How?"

"Elena."

"I'm not sure that I follow."

"Until now it hasn't mattered what scuttlebutt has said about me, but this time … she doesn't deserve to be tarred with my reputation."

Swain leant on the rail and took a mouthful of his drink, waiting for Dutchy to continue, when he didn't Swain looked around, "No one's tarring her with your reputation, but you're not making it easy on yourself, you've shut down any conversation where you might get her involved. You've been doing it since we sailed with her as CO."

Dutchy took a long draught of his beer and glanced at Swain. "You know?"

"Nothing definite that I could report you for, but the way you two interacted on board especially after leaving Lockhart River, I was tempted to lock you in her cabin and tell you to sort it out. Of course then I would have had to report you." Swain's smile earnt him one from the Hammersley Buffer in return.

"You know nothing happened on the ship, but there were moments; which is why most of our discussions took place on the boat deck."

"Yeah, I know, Spider and 2-dads took great delight in spying on you one night, unfortunately for them they couldn't do it quietly and I put a stop to their fun."

"It's probably good then that there's no sound on the CCTV," Dutchy conceded as the silence descended again for a few moments. "She's not like any of those other women-"

Footsteps on the stairway nearby interrupted him and as he turned to look he was reminded of the night he had met her. It had all started out being an ordinary night, but after she walked away everything had changed and he was prepared to let her go and hope to run into her another time rather than piss her off from the start. She had graciously declined his offer, but merely minutes later she had changed her mind and the drive and dinner had been better than he expected. The fact that she ended up at his place had been a bonus.

"… they can't prove anything." Dutchy looked around at Swain, who he realised had been talking to himself probably for several minutes.

"Sorry mate, were you saying something?"

Swain looked at him bemused, but then broke into a wide smile, "you know you're not going to admit anything to the crew until you admit it to yourself."

"What?" He wasn't sure why he asked such a dumb question, he wasn't sure he even wanted an answer, but now he was going to get one anyway.

"Elena's more than some random girl in a bar," Swain replied before heading back inside.

* * *

_I have one more chapter written which I will post later. Please leave comments._


	33. In this together

_I hadn't intended posting the rest of this on this site as there didn't seem to be much comment on it or people reading, but following a request from SpinningTop-01 here is the next chapter. If anyone is interested the full story (all 55 chapters) are on the Sea Patrol site._

_.  
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**Part 33 - In this together  
**  
Elena dropped Megan off at the pub and sat for a few minutes wondering if she should go in herself, but she wasn't sure what sort of reception she would receive or if Dutchy would appreciate her showing up and crashing his night out with the crew, so she decided to head home. Home, that was something she didn't actually have at the moment, but every time she thought about it his place seemed to fill that void. He'd even given her his spare key so that she could get in if she was back first after her dinner. As she drove towards the house on the outskirts of town she began to think about what she should be doing. It wasn't fair on him to keep crashing at his place; they really needed their own space for a while, especially if NAVCOM were going to insist on sanctions, which could be almost anything.

She didn't want to think about NAVCOM, but she feared the interrogation of the crew was going to haunt them and she needed to plan her defence. Her future rested on what came out of that next meeting with Commander White and she had the feeling the other woman wouldn't wait the week to raise the outstanding matters. The fact that she wasn't pregnant was the least of her problems, she'd dropped herself and Dutchy into a crocodile pit and the Navy would have something to say about her behaviour. Officers of her rank were usually not so reckless as to sleep with someone and then accept a posting with them. She should have done what she intended at the start. More than once that first morning on board she had picked up the phone to decline the posting and explain why, but she hadn't and couldn't even give a rational excuse why not.

She had been so wrapped up in the fog in her head she didn't realise until she turned the final corner that she had driven most of the way from the pub on auto-pilot and now she was pulling up in front of his house. Only one light appeared to be on, the one they had left on when they went out earlier and she was a little disappointed that he wasn't home yet.

…..

Megan entered the bar and quickly caught the noise being made by her crew and skirted the bar to join them.

"Ma'am!" greeted one of the junior sailors, "Chefo's buying, what do you want to drink?"

"Orange juice."

"That's not like you, you're normally first to drink us under the table," Syd countered as he appeared at her side.

"Something tells me that tonight I'm going to need a clear head," she answered.

"So how was dinner X?" Razor asked giving her a dazzling smile.

"Very good, but that's all you get to know and I'm guessing by the fact that you're asking me you didn't get answers from the other party involved."

"Nada, so I guess this means we can continue to speculate."

"That is most definitely a negative. Stay out of their business," she instructed her Buffer firmly.

"But you know the answers," he moaned.

"Yeah X, tell us what she said," cajoled Syd, who had continued to stand nearby and listen to the exchange.

"No Syd, what I know stays between me and the Lt-Cdr."

"That's not fair,"

"Who cares? I'm not providing fodder for you boys to chew up and gossip about all over town. It ends here, you got it?" she answered more firmly, looking particularly at Syd.

The junior sailor looked as if he was going to make another counter argument when Razor cut in, "Syd you heard the Lieutenant, the subject is closed."

Megan shot him a brief but confused smile and turned to speak to someone else leaving the two to wallow in self-pity about their lack of skills in extracting information about the suspected relationship between the Hammersley Buffer and his temporary CO.

….

Dutchy noticed the house was almost in darkness when he got back home. The light in the hallway they had left on when they went out was switched off and the only glimmer came from the side lights in the lounge. He couldn't hear anything and wondered if she was alright. He called her name quietly but when she didn't answer he pushed open the lounge door and stopped, taking in the sight before him. He couldn't help smiling at the way she seemed so comfortable …. and asleep.

Glancing at his hands he placed his keys on the shelf by the door and eased his jacket off, taking it and draping over the back of an arm chair as he crept towards the figure on the couch. She was oblivious to his presence and he hoped he didn't scare her before he worked out what to do.

Carefully he reached out and removed the laptop from her stomach and turned it to place it on the table when he saw what she had been doing. She never stirred, giving him a moment to flick through the last few screens she had been searching, he was confused; she hadn't mentioned finding her own place in Cairns. He wondered what had been said during dinner with her friend to make her want to move out.

Having her stay the last few days seemed to make the place feel lived in, like a proper home and not the crash pad that he used it for. Most of her stuff was in the guest room, but there was her jacket laying over the back of the couch, her laptop and some NAVCOM paperwork on his coffee table, which just gave it that extra lived in feel. Leaving the computer he couldn't help picking up the papers and looking at them; they were your standard relocation forms, you filled in to update your personal details, addresses and the like. He noticed almost everything was complete except for the part listing her home address, a pen dot, like a hesitation mark sat in the box; clearly she had stopped, not knowing what to put. It also explained the open searches on her laptop; she had been looking through the estate agents listings. Feeling a little like he was snooping he put down the NAVCOM documents, and wandered over to the kitchen to make some coffee while he decided whether to wake her up.

Once he had set the coffee machine he turned and leant on the counter while he waited for it to brew. He stood with his eyes fixed on the back of the couch for a few minutes and then pushed himself upright again and moved silently towards it. When he set his eyes on her again she was still sleeping soundly and appeared quite comfortable but he didn't want her sleeping there all night. He carefully slipped his arms under her body, his hands sliding easily against the soft silky feel of the nightdress she was wearing which was just covering enough for her to be decent. Slowly he lifted her into his arms and her head rolled against his shoulder as he adjusted to her weight.

He carried her to the guest room, but found the bed covered with her suitcases and the remains of the stuff she'd brought for Nikki, so there was nowhere to put her down. He quickly ran through his options, he could put her back on the couch and clear the bed, but that was more likely to wake her up and he was a little reluctant to have her sleep in his bed without her consent, but he figured she'd be better off there than the risk of disturbing her.

He pushed the door to his room open with his shoulder and edged into the darkened room. There was just enough light from the lounge to ensure there was nothing on the floor he could trip over as he made his way towards the bed.

She stirred a little as he was about to set her down. "Dylan?" he smiled at the soft drowsy tone and he looked down at her, she still had her eyes closed, but seemed to snuggle against him a little more.

"Yeah, I'm just putting you in bed, we'll talk in the morning," he answered quietly and gently lay her in the bed and covered her up.

"..'m dreaming, … kiss me goodnight," she replied still more asleep than awake.

He chuckled a little, "you sure about that?"

"Missed you," she muttered and he stood up to leave. "You going?" he looked back at her, her eyes were still closed and she was settled under the covers.

"I'll be back, I've got some stuff to sort out. Go back to sleep sexy."

"Shouldn't call me that," she mumbled, making him wonder if he had suddenly overstepped some invisible line. "But, if you kiss me I won't tell anyone," she continued, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Alright ma'am, if you insist," he conceded, unable to resist her cute rambling any longer. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over kissing her forehead lightly.

"You call that a kiss, sailor? I know you can do better, if we're getting into trouble you might as well make it worthwhile."

"Are you having me on here, or are you really talking to me?"

"Not talking, .. orders … kiss me."

"Very well, don't say you didn't ask for this." He leaned over her again and kissed her lips this time then ran his hand over her hair as he stood up. "Go back to sleep now."

"mmm, … nice." She snuggled down more under the cover and turned on her side. He never heard another sound out of her as he left the room.

….

After a very quick briefing by one of Maxine's colleagues the next morning Elena was kept very busy in various departmental briefings and barely had time to think about anything, but as she walked into her office thinking about lunch she was greeted by an unexpected visitor.

"Hi, this is a surprise, what are you doing here?" she asked as he stood up and turned to her.

"I missed you this morning, and thought I could take you to lunch to make up for it. … But then I got a call from Commander Flynn giving me orders to report to him and Commander White in-" he looked at his watch, "about 10 minutes."

"I'm sorry about sneaking out, but you looked so peaceful and I didn't know what time you got in so I figured I'd let you sleep." She walked around her desk and picked up the papers that were there.

"Do you remember anything about last night?" he ventured as she looked at the sheets of paper.

"I fell asleep on the couch and I'm guessing you put me in your bed, but nothing until this morning," she answered and held up the papers she had been reviewing. "You saw what I was looking at online?"

"I figured if you needed your own place I could help you look."

"The top one looks rather familiar," she answered giving him a knowing smile and showing him the agent's brief on top of the pile.

"It comes with a flat mate who is hardly ever home, so you could make the place your own," he tried to sound encouraging, but Elena wasn't ready to bite just yet, as tempting as the offer was.

"And what about when said flatmate is home?" she asked, trying to get him to open up.

"Anything you want."

She flicked through the papers quickly then folded them and put them in her handbag. "I'm not sure it's such a good idea right now. It felt so odd last night being there on my own. I'm not sure either of us is ready for such a big step."

"You don't have to decide right now, I just wanted you to think about it." She wasn't sure he knew what he was asking, the commitment that would be involved. Everything she knew about him told her this was not something he had entertained before, or that he was ready for such a step.

"Dylan, I can't. I need my own space for a while and so do you."

He was tempted to move closer to her, but the fact that anyone walking past could see them stopped him, especially as he'd been summoned there to see Commander White. "Are you calling things off?"

She shook her head, he had misunderstood her, she needed to explain. "No, I like what we have, but moving in together is a bigger deal than me just staying for a few days. It was never meant to be permanent and I'm not ready for that kind of commitment and if you seriously think about it I'm not sure you are either."

"So you're going to find your own place?" His tone was neutral, but she never really managed to read his mood, the only thing she could do was try and explain herself more.

"I need to, for my own sanity. I need a place for Dad to stay when he comes down for medical tests and a place that for Nikki when she comes back. I can't keep imposing on you."

He nodded understandingly, "for the record I like having you at my place."

She never got a chance to answer as a young midshipman knocked on the door and stuck his head in.

"Excuse me Ma'am, Commander White wants to see you in her office now."

Elena acknowledged the order and glanced at Dutchy, she knew this is the moment she had been dreading all day. Looking back at the door the young officer was still there. "Was there something else?"

"Um, she also told me to find Petty Officer Mulholland too."

Dutchy turned around. "We'll be right there." With the midshipman departing and leaving the door open, there was little chance to say anything, but she knew he was looking at her before she looked up at him. "If things get really bad, remember we're in this together. You don't need to fall on your sword, I can handle myself."

…..

Maxine and Mike were waiting when Dutchy and Elena entered the Commander's office. Neither were offered seats and while he wasn't surprised for himself Dutchy was a little surprised that Elena hadn't been, however both the Commanders were still standing. Neither looked particularly pleased and he waited for one of them to speak first.

"I thought it best to speak to you both together, save me having to repeat myself, "Maxine started abruptly. "It is not the sort of behaviour I expect from my senior sailors," she announced glaring at Dutchy, "or my officers, "she finished looking at Elena. "Despite the inconclusive investigation carried out by Commander Flynn, you Lt-Cdr have implicated yourself in breaking the rules. Your record speaks highly of you and while initially you may not have been constrained by Navy regulations, when you were posted to Hammersley you should have informed me."

Dutchy noticed Elena's stiff posture as she faced up to the senior officer. "Yes ma'am," she acknowledged, her attention directed straight ahead of her.

"I'm going to be direct here and I want both of you to give me an honest answer," she continued. "Was there a relationship onboard?"

"No ma'am," Elena answered quickly, "we acted within the rules."

Dutchy felt like he was letting her take the fall, but so far he had barely had a chance to open his mouth.

"And you, Petty Officer Mulholland, what do you have to say?"

"Nothing happened on board, or for two weeks after for that matter," he answered honestly. "Lt-Cdr Larkin left for her father's ranch soon after we docked and didn't return until a few days ago," he hoped he made things sound a little better than they were.

"But you are in a relationship now?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dutchy answered when Elena seemed to hesitate.

Maxine looked between the two of them as if weighing up her options. "Gentlemen wait outside, I would like a moment with the Lt-Cdr alone."

Mike gave Maxine a quizzical look, but obliged anyway. Once the door was closed behind them Maxine turned to Elena.

Dutchy stood outside watching through the window as a brief discussion took place. Elena seemed to keep her professional composure and never moved an inch, when Maxine stood right in front of her, invading her personal space. He wondered why he and his former boss had been excluded and from the way Mike hovered at his side he knew he was wondering too. They both jumped when Maxine turned and pulled the door open, letting them back in.

Once the door was closed again she crossed the room and stood behind her desk and faced them. Tension and expectation hung heavily in the air and even Mike seemed to be waiting for Maxine to speak. After assessing them both for a moment she began.

"Under the circumstances, there is no evidence to indicate that either of you acted inappropriately, except for your own admissions. By rights I should throw the book at both of you for that alone, but I'm not going too. The Navy has far bigger things to worry about at the moment and we cannot afford to lose good people. Lt-Cdr Larkin already has her orders and will commence her new role the next time Hammersley sails. I have no need to set rules for you as you are on distinctly separate assignments and the only thing I can fault you for was not speaking up after the night you met. The knowledge of your brief encounter would actually have made no difference to the circumstances, I would have had no choice but to have you sail together, however it seems you policed yourselves appropriately and that is what worked in your favour, as well as you're previous Navy records."

"Thank you ma'am," Elena answered and seemed to relax a little for the first time since she had entered the office.

"I am placing one constraint on you both however." Her stern look returned as she again looked between them. "You Lt-Cdr will move into accommodation on base until you find somewhere to live of your own, I cannot be seen to be condoning this relationship so soon after you serving together, so I strongly suggest that there will be no overnight guests and you to return to your accommodation to sleep."

Elena, for the first time glanced at Dutchy and he could see the anger flicker in her eyes; it was a ridiculous idea. "Ma'am, permission to speak freely?" Maxine nodded at her. "How long do you intend to impose this curfew?"

"It's not a curfew, merely a recommendation, one which should be easy to keep for the next month while Hammersley is deployed."

"We're being deployed for a month?" Dutchy asked, a little shocked that it would be for so long.

"Lt-Cdr McGregor has your orders and you sail this evening. Lt Megan Matthews will be sailing as your XO."

Dutchy knew better than to argue about a deployment, however much he might want to. Maxine gave them a minute to let evrything sink in.

"Lt Matthews has only just returned Ma'am isn't she entitled to some shore leave?" Elena asked.

"I'm aware that she is a friend of yours Lt-Cdr, but she is being moved at her own request. A temporary arrangement until Lt Gordon is fully fit again. Lt Turner will sail with Kingston on their next patrol. I think that concludes our business, dismissed."

Elena and Dutchy saluted and turned to the door in silence. "Petty Officer Mulholland, you are expected at the ship in 2 hours."

Nothing else was said and they walked in silence back to Elena's office, where she collected her handbag and locked some papers away. "Let's get out of here," she announced walking towards the door.

They were both still thinking over what had happened a few minutes earlier and neither were ready to have any kind of discussion.

"How do you want to spend the next 2 hours?" he asked eventually as they walked towards her car.

* * *

_If you want more posted here you need to leave a review and let me know._


	34. 2 Hours

_Here is what happens during those 2 hours (and a bit more), especially for SpinningTop-01 and kazzyj. Thanks for the reviews.  
_

**Part 34 - Two Hours**

Elena walked into the lounge and tossed her hat onto the table and pulled her hair out of the bun which she had adopted for NAVCOM. Then she stopped and turned around. Dutchy watched her for a moment from the door way, then dropped his hat and keys onto the shelf; he was uncertain what to say to her but the conversation in her office bothered him, it was like she didn't want to be with him and he wanted to clear the air before he joined the ship.

"Did you really mean what you said about needing space?" he asked feeling the frown form across his forehead.

"It doesn't matter what I meant Commander White has made it clear I have to move," she dodged the question, hiding behind the orders handed down at NAVCOM and giving him no real idea of what she was thinking. While her tone wasn't angry her answer had still been abrupt, which irked him.

"That's ridiculous and you know it. She can't expect you to follow their orders," he snapped, the frustration at events coming out.

"It's the Navy they can make the orders they want and considering everything we got off lightly. Me moving out is the right thing to do. We'd already discussed it," her voice was icy and she seemed to think it was the end of the subject, but he still wanted answers and for her to know what he thought about it.

"No, we didn't, you made that decision all by yourself," he argued, glaring at her.

He watched the expression on her face soften a little, but the edge to her voice did nothing to quash the frustration he was feeling. "We've got less than 2 hours, do you really want to stand around and argue the point?"

"I guess it doesn't really matter what I want." He started walking towards his bedroom, pulling his shirt over his head as he moved, unable to acknowledge her anymore; he needed space to calm down.

"Of course it matters, Dylan wait," he stopped for a few seconds and glanced over his shoulder, this time her tone better matched her expression as she tried to answer him, but he wasn't ready to hear it.

"I don't get it, I thought staying here would solve some of your problems, I thought, nevermind," he spat and disappeared into his room. He was very aware of the way the door slammed behind him and it reminded him of the conversation two days earlier after her first visit to NAVCOM. He knew then that he couldn't let things stay the way they were. He ran his hand through his hair and across his face then pulled open the door to speak to her, but she was no longer in the lounge, so he made his way to the guest room, hoping she had just gone to change.

…..

She heard the knock on the door and wondered what mood he would be in, but she needed to explain her thinking, it was clear the whole thing had somehow backfired. Elena pulled her dress over her head and smoothed it down, then reached out and pulled the door open. Dutchy was standing there with one arm rested against the door frame. He still wore his uniform trousers and undershirt, the look on his face seemed to be a cross between pain and frustration.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to argue, … I just-," he pushed himself off the door and stepped closer. "You're a difficult woman to read sometimes, I thought we were getting along alright"

"We are and despite what I said about your past the other day, I can't help but wonder if one day the novelty will wear off and you won't want me here. I need a place of my own that I can run to if that happens and I did mean what I said about Dad and Nikki and I don't agree with what Commander White ordered, but it seems academic if you're sailing tonight anyway."

"I thought we had a couple more days," he mused.

Elena closed the gap between them and rested her hands on his chest, "me too, but that doesn't mean we can't make use of the next hour making up for the time you'll be away."

"That's the best offer I've had all day," he grinned, resting a hand on her hip as she reached up and kissed him.

When they broke apart he glanced at the bed it was still strewn with her stuff so he looked back at her, "come on Goldilocks, looks like you're sleeping in my bed again."

She squealed as he lifted her off her feet and headed towards his room. "So it's Goldilocks now? What's with all the Disney references?" she asked wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"If the shoe fits, last night it would have been Sleeping Beauty." He paused for a moment as he pushed his door open, "say how much do you remember about last night?"

"Before or after I got home?" she whispered her head resting on his shoulder.

"After," he said, setting her on her feet again, but she still kept her arms around his neck.

"I did some paperwork and was on the computer. I don't remember you coming in, or how I ended up in your bed, not that it was a bad thing," she answered raking the fingers of one hand through his hair.

"I did wonder when you disappeared this morning."

"You knew I had work," she answered, almost struggling to pay attention to the conversation while he was giving her that adorable look that had drawn her to him in the first place.

"So you don't remember the conversation we had when I put you to bed?"

"No, but I did dream about you invading my cabin after the storm, and you must have broken at least a dozen rules," she answered trailing her fingers around the edge of his undershirt as it stretched across his chest.

"So you don't remember issuing certain orders?"

"If you don't shut up the time we've got left will be gone and nothing would have happened," she chided pushing him backwards on the bed then quickly straddling his hips as he sat up again, giving her a beaming smile before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.

"You know I have to obey orders," he whispered in her ear before seizing her lips with his and pulling her with him as he lay down.

….

Megan raced onto the Kingston and was thankful there was no-one in the corridors as she tore through the ship to her cabin and quickly pushed all her personal effects into her holdall. In record time she stripped out of her uniform whites and redressed in her camouflage trousers and grey t-shirt. Her discarded uniform was scooped up and pushed into the bag too; she would worry later about washing it and getting it ironed, but for now she didn't have time to stop and worry about a few creases.

She yanked on the door to the tiny en-suite bathroom and scooped up her toiletries which she unceremoniously dumped into the bag, then she stopped to look around, the place looked empty and it had all happened in less than 10 minutes. She grinned, it beat her last record hands down and she gloated for a moment while she regained her breath and wondered if her escape from the ship would be so uneventful. She had asked for this temporary transfer, it just so happened that Hammersley was needed to sail and her request had hit Commander White's desk at the same time. Now having seen Elena she wondered how her best friend would take the news that she was sailing with Dutchy. Still it would give her a chance to get to know him better and determine if he was the womaniser everyone said. She really hoped not, because her friend was in for a crashing fall if he was. But she had seen them together, albeit briefly and she had caught the way he looked at her.

Megan sighed heavily, she'd had relationships, she'd even lived with a couple of her boyfriends, but she'd never described herself as being in love, which is why she wanted off the Kingston, well she didn't really, but if she stayed then she could find herself facing a Captain's Table for inappropriate behaviour with one of the crew. She knew the minute she'd seen the way Dutchy looked at Elena the day before that she had seen the same looks directed at her. She couldn't pinpoint when it had started, but lately she had noticed them more and it had taken the jolt from seeing her best friend so clearly thriving on the attention the Hammersley Buffer was giving her that she couldn't ignore things anymore.

Six weeks on Hammersley would give her some space to get her head straight and work out what she wanted in life. She knew the move to Cairns was a cross-roads for Elena, a chance for her to be close to her father and try and work out where she wanted her life to go. Maybe it was their age talking, maybe it was the easier lifestyle of a regional town, but she felt her decision was the right one. Now she just had to avoid a certain individual and escape to the Hammersley.

She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and opened the door and with a quick glance up and down the corridor headed towards the stairs. She thought she had escaped when she appeared on deck and no-one had stopped her; however her luck was not to hold as he appeared at the opposite end of the gangplank and looked at her in surprise. She stopped and fought the butterflies in her stomach, steeling herself to give him a smile. He stepped off the narrow walkway and dropped his bag at his feet, but the strap remained loosely hung in his left hand. She couldn't help herself and let her eyes wander over his body which was clearly defined under the tight black t-shirt and slim fit jeans. His keys were stuffed in his right hip pocket with the chain left dangling against his side and his hair was sitting in spiky tufts as if he hadn't combed it. He didn't have the muscular build of most of the Buffer's she had served with, but that didn't mean he wasn't strong, he was and the ripple of his muscles as he shifted to salute her reminded her of the time when they were on patrol and she had nearly been thrown out of the RHIB during a collision. He had been the one to catch her and wrap his arms around her to steady her, to stop her flying backwards off the boat. For that split second that she was almost prone in his arms her stomach had fluttered violently and the whole encounter had fed her dreams for weeks.

Megan moved forward slowly and returned the salute as she stepped onto the dockside.

"X?" he greeted with a confused look at her uniform and bag. "I thought we were on shore leave."

"You are, I'm moving to the Hammersley for 6 weeks until their XO is fit for duty again. Orders have come through for them to sail today and I'm the only one around to take over." She was glad her voice sounded steadier than she felt.

"I thought Lieutenant Turner was taking over," Razor replied.

"He's not back from his parents until the day after tomorrow and we've been tasked with escort duty through our sector." She waited for him to speak, but for a moment he was quiet. "I've got to go and meet the crew and it wouldn't look good if I was late,"

Megan started to walk away, but Razor stopped her, "X, can I email you while you're gone?"

Megan looked at him and smiled. "I'd like that," she answered before turning and walking towards the other ship, aware that he was still standing on the dockside watching her.

….

Dutchy could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he drew breath from his recent exertions. He opened his eyes and looked at Elena, who lay underneath him, her skin flushed and hot from her own high. For a moment their eyes locked, then he partially rolled away and propped himself up on his elbow and brushed some stray hairs from her face.

"I like that look on you," he breathed, giving her a mischievous smile.

"What look is that?"

"The one you've got now; the one that says I've satisfied my woman," he raised his eyebrows at her as a momentary shocked look crossed her face before she laughed.

"Your woman?" she asked running her hand up his arm and resting on his bicep.

"Tell me I didn't satisfy you?" he prompted, earning a warm smile from her.

"Oh, you did, now what am I going to do without you around?" He opened his mouth to answer, but she quickly pressed her fingers to his lips, "you don't need to spell it out."

He took her hand away and leant over to kiss her, "I need to get a shower, or I'm going to be late." He whispered, then proceeded to plant kisses across her shoulder, finally pulling away and getting up he headed to the bathroom.

He had just stepped under the water when the shower door opened and she stepped inside wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her body against his. "Let me help with that," she mumbled pressing delicate kisses across his back as she took the soap from his hands. She smirked when he turned around and wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to kiss her again as the water cascaded over them.

A few snatched kisses soon turned into more and he backed her against the wall. "You're not really helping, ma'am."

She looked up, water dripping from her hair and eyelashes, "you're the one who's stopping things, of course I could get out again and wait until you're finished." She started to slip out of his hold, but he tightened his grip and stopped her.

"I guess we could make it work as you're here now," he grinned.

…..

Elena pulled the car up alongside the ship and they both got out. Megan was overseeing loading of supplies from the truck parked nearby and looked up when the car stopped. She waved at Elena and continued checking off the supplies on her list.

Dutchy tugged his bag from the tiny compartment behind the car seats and hoisted it onto his shoulder before circling the car towards Elena and for a moment they stood and looked at each other.

"After this morning I probably shouldn't do this, but NAVCOM already know and I'm not going without a proper goodbye," he said, hooking his free arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

"You know you'll be teased mercilessly for this, especially by Charge and 2-dads," she countered, glancing over his shoulder to see who was around.

"Who's watching?"

She turned her attention back to him, "no one, yet, but you can guarantee that they will be."

"Then I'd better make this good," he countered leaning towards her a little more, only to pull back when she turned her head suddenly and stepped back.

He followed her line of sight and realized that a NAVCOM car had pulled up and Commander White was getting out.

"I'll drop my stuff and see if I can get back in a few minutes, will you wait?"

"I'm going to catch a couple of minutes with Megan, but you should be quick."

With a slight nod and with a more sombre mood he turned and headed for the gangplank before Maxine could fully extricate herself from the car. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck bristle and guessed that at least one of the women on the dock was watching him. Megan gave him a warm smile as he stepped off the gangplank and saluted her.

"Dutchy, drop your gear then you can take over here, I need to escort Commander White to see the CO. We'll be about 15 minutes going over some new information pertinent to the mission, so you may get a chance to say goodbye. About half the crew are back already; just remind the rest to sign in." Megan rambled, keeping half an eye on the woman approaching the ship. "You can fill me in later on how things went at NAVCOM."

"Roger X," he acknowledged and hurried towards the door.

…..

Elena was sitting in the marina coffee shop, near the naval base as Hammersley finally sailed. She sat sipping her tea watching him as he worked with the crew on the forward deck as they headed down the inlet towards the open sea. After the last few days almost constantly in his company she was feeling the separation having spent the afternoon moving her stuff into base accommodation. She let her mind wander back over the memory of their farewell on the dockside while Maxine had been inside and as expected the smouldering kiss he had left her with heartened the crew no end especially when someone began cheering.

Megan had unobtrusively and unexpectedly run interference for them, allowing them a moment of peace before she had to slip away and avoid the Commander due to leave the ship at any moment. A smile played across her lips as a shadow was cast over her, causing her to look up.

"Are you dining alone ma'am?"

"just stopping for tea before I take in the delights of the local supermarket in search of food for the cupboard. .. It's Razor, right?"

"Yes Ma'am. Would you like some company?"

"Did Lieutenant Matthews put you up to this?" Elena asked.

"No, actually I was hoping-"

A blast from the Hammersley's horn drowned out the rest of what Razor was trying to say and she looked up to see Dutchy and Megan standing on the fly bridge and appeared to be watching them.

…..

On Hammersley, Megan was taking in the sight as Cairns slipped by them as they sailed towards their appointed rendezvous co-ordinates. She noticed the door open and Dutchy appear a few feet away.

"Sorry X, you taking in the sight?"

"I've been doing this years and I never get tired of the thrill I feel when we leave port. I think it's the anticipation of not knowing what's out there, we might sail with a plan, but nothing is ever guaranteed and I know we'll deal with a lot more than what we set out to do."

Dutchy mumbled something in agreement as his eyes settled on the small coffee shop passing off their port bow. The sound of the horn made some of the sailors on the deck below jump; it was a sound he had long ago been condidiotned to, and now he barely flinched.

"Looks like Razor found Elena," she commented handing her binoculars to Dutchy allowing him to take a look at the café occupants for himself.

"Is is safe to leave him alone like this?" he grinned.

"That all depends on what your girlfriend says to him," she commented and moved to open the door to go back to her duties.

"Is there something you don't want her to say X?" he asked giving her his best puppy dog expression.

"She knows," she answered, flipping the handle on the door and pulling it open. A few seconds later she had gone, leaving Dutchy alone. He looked over at the café again through the binoculars, then pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly tapped out a message.

* * *

_If you want to see what Razor looks like PM me. If you review I'll post the next chapter soon.  
_


	35. R&R

_For SeamenScotty, kazzyj, Spinning-Top-01 and Kristylauren - thank you for your reviews and comments. Enjoy this._

**.**

**Part 35 - R&R**

Dutchy pushed open the door to the cabin he shared with Swain and sighed, he was looking forward to some time to himself while Swain was on watch and hopefully to make a few calls. Swain stood in the middle of the room and before they could acknowledge each other the ship's intercom burst to life, "Dutchy report to the ship's office."

Swain, who he had just stopped from leaving, cast him knowing look, "that doesn't sound promising."

Dutchy was irritated as he glanced at the other sailor. "They could have waited until I'd got a couple of hours sleep," he grumbled turning around and stepping back into the corridor.

"That's the price we pay for being in the middle of things," Swain consoled sympathetically, also stepping into the corridor resuming his own duties and they both headed towards the upper deck. "So how are things with Elena?"

Dutchy stopped and turned to Swain, glancing up and down to see who might overhear, "she's stopped communicating again, even the X hasn't heard from her for 4 days; the last time that happened she was up at the ranch stressing out."

"I'm sorry mate, I wish I could suggest something, but I don't have a clue where to start."

"Yeah, me too," he sighed before moving towards the ship's office again.

…..

Kate reviewed the piece of paper in her hand; it wasn't what she'd expected when she reported the boarding of the Russian flagged vessel earlier that day. They had been at sea for three weeks and were on the verge of sailing home, but their latest orders meant a stop-over at a foreign port of at least overnight, but for now even she wasn't privy to the details, only that they were being joined by someone from ASIO. A knock on the door drew her from her thoughts.

"Boss?" the ship's buffer didn't waste words, his look and tone asking what he'd been summoned for.

"Come in Dutchy, close the door." She waited until he'd followed the instruction, "I'll try not to keep you too long,"

"Something wrong?"

"Honestly? I don't know, I've had a communication from NAVCOM." She indicated for him to take a seat. "I know we were all looking forward to going home and I hope this detour doesn't take long, but we have to do it." Dutchy waited for her to continue. "I need you to go ashore tonight with the crew, keep an eye on things, make sure we have no issues with the local crowd."

"Why can't Swain do it he's the cop," Dutchy grumbled.

"He's on watch and you can use some down time," Kate tried to console him.

"What about the XO?" he asked.

"It's a male only trip, she's on watch too."

"If I didn't know you better ma'am I'd say you were setting me up," he grinned slightly, finally accepting the order.

"You've barely been off the ship whenever we've been in port, it will do you good to have a night ashore, besides it wouldn't hurt to keep a look out for ships that might cross our path when we sail."

"Particularly that Russian one," he confirmed. "What's the plan then?" Dutchy asked, preferring the snooping task, to the night out one.

"You, Charge, RO, 2-dads and 2 seamen will have a night of R&R, keep your eyes open and don't cause any trouble. I suspect we're going to get more involved with this Russian trawler." At the mention of 2 -dads name she saw the grimace cross his face and she studied him for a moment, "you're worried the crew are going to try and set you up with one of the local girls?" Kate asked, having a little sympathy.

"I can handle that, it's just- never mind. Was there anything else boss, I'd like to get a couple of hours sleep before we dock."

Kate was going to dismiss him, but then changed her mind, "Megan spoke to me this morning, I know you're worried about Lt-Cdr Larkin so I've asked NAVCOM to contact the ranch and have her call one of you."

"Thanks Boss," he sighed and looked up at Kate. She felt a little guilty about forcing him to go ashore, but she needed someone reliable with the crew to ensure things didn't get too wild. "Get some rest; I'll have someone give you a call when we need you."

"Thanks boss." He didn't wait to be told twice and made a quick exit.

…..

"Guava Mojo's" boomed charge, reaching across the table and setting a tray down before the raucous sailors.

It was the fourth or fifth round of the night, although no-one was really counting. They were enjoying a rare night of R&R after a tough couple of days shadowing a Russian trawler suspected of more than just trading legal goods. The ship had docked at the commercial yard earlier that afternoon and Kate had wrangled a good will visit for the ship in order to keep an eye on them. It was a good bet that the crew would be ashore making merry, hence the night out for the Hammersley boys.

Dutchy helped himself to the beer on the tray, he'd astutely stuck to something that wouldn't mess too much with his system, and drunk just enough for people not to realise how sober he was. Although Charge and one of the sailors looked a little rosy cheeked, he knew they weren't as wasted as they appeared. The sailor had successfully shared his drinks with another of the crew sat next to him and Charge had _drunkenly_ tipped half the last 2 glasses away. RO and 2-dads on the other hand were heading towards oblivion, barely able to focus on a hand in front of their face.

2-dads slurped his latest glassful and looked around the table, surprisingly he was still with them, not having found the local poker game yet. Suddenly he slammed his hand on the table half stood up and gave a beaming grin to those gathered around the table and declared, "we should play truth or dare."

The more drunken of their ship mates chorused agreement, even RO joined in. Charge and Dutchy exchanged a look and 2-dads slumped in his seat.

"I'll start," one of the young seamen slurred rolling as he sat in the chair and glared at the assembled group. "Truth," he announced apparently feeling rather brave at that moment.

"Too eashy," piped up RO emptying his glass, "shomeone else should decide for you." Everyone at the table looked at their Radio Operator, astounded at the uncharacteristic remark. After a brief moment of stunned silence RO glanced around at them, "what?" he asked, suddenly sounding surprisingly sober and wondering what had attracted everyone's attention.

The young seaman seized the opportunity, "OK RO I dare you to take your shirt off then ask that guy over there to swap with you, tell him you want to see the way his muscles ripple in a tighter shirt." The sailor pointed out a young muscular guy with a group of friends in the corner of the bar.

RO's jaw dropped as he appeared to process the thought, then he swallowed, looked around for his drink then reached for the half full glass in front of the sailor sat next to him, swallowed a large mouthful, then stood up and staggered a little, "OK, I can do thish, I can be more per- per- pershonable," he stammered and weaved his way across the bar while removing his shirt, leaving the rest of the table in roars of laughter.

"I thought for a minute he was going to refuse," Dutchy commented regaining his composure first.

"I just hope the guy doesn't deck him. That could turn nasty very quickly," Charge responded.

A moment later RO came staggering back looking pleased with himself and wearing a shirt that looked 2 sizes too big and flopped into his chair.

A few rounds later Charge was tasked with dancing with the ugliest woman they could find while someone set "C'est la vie" playing on the Jukebox.

"Come on Charge, show us your sexy man dance!" cheered 2-dads as Charge swirled the woman around graciously before strutting his stuff.

As he returned to the table and glared at 2-dads, "you know that song is by an all-girl band!" he appeared to seethe, "right young Jedi, for you it's a dare, we want a nice karaoke rendition of I wanna be like you."

"Jungle Book! That's my fav-, fav- I like that shong!" RO added from the other end of the table as the music from the jukebox began.

"Ah come on Chargy is that the besht you can find?" taunted 2-dads pushing himself upright and standing in a space.

Despite being completely wasted he gave a pretty good rendition of the song and the dance moves, once again leaving the table in hysterics. When he stopped, he turned his attention to Dutchy. "I'm not singing or dancing to anything on that jukebox," Dutchy told him his voice serious and threatening.

"Dutchy, my man," 2-dads drawled endearingly as he draped an arm around the Bosun's shoulders, "I've got shomething mush better for you. … Shesh sitting at the bar, been washing you, I dare you, to-"

"Not happening 2-dads," he growled, extracting himself from the arm of the younger sailor and pushing him towards his seat, where he landed quite heavily. "I think it's time to wrap this up and head back."

"No, no, no, … jusht ashk her for her number, … show ush, you shtill got moves," 2-dads persisted.

"2-dads," Dutchy groaned, "enough, it's not going to happen."

"We all had our go, it's only fair, besides all he's asked you to do is get her number. You don't have to use it and besides what the little lady at home doesn't know won't hurt her," smiled Charge, conspiring with his buddy.

"Fine, but if any of you breathe a word of this-" he threatened pushing himself to his feet. "Who?" he asked seeing two women at the bar.

2-dads turned around, scanning the room then his eyes landed on the woman at the bar and pointed at the brunette, "her."

Dutchy made his way slowly towards the bar, wondering how quickly he could escape.

For a few minutes those gathered at the table watched, but when he didn't return immediately they began other conversations and eventually decided to call it a night. Promising to follow them later Dutchy was left behind, still talking with the girl at the bar.

…..

She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder more securely as she came in sight of the ship and smiled when she saw Charge and 2-dads on deck. The latter looked rather hung over and she wondered how much of the previous night he would remember.

She saluted them as she crossed the gangplank and Charge snapped to attention as he saluted in return.

"Morning, it looks like you had a heavy night, I hope you're ready to work, we've got a busy day," she greeted with a bright smile.

"Morning ma'am, this is a surprise," Charge responded.

She knew what was going through his head, it was going to be a good day and she was not going to elaborate just yet. "Yeah I've just been flown in on orders from NAVCOM, where will I find Lt-Cdr McGregor?"

"I think she's having breakfast ma'am."

"Thanks Charge." She answered moving towards the door.

When she had gone, he turned to 2-dads who had remained remarkably quiet and now was staring after her open mouthed. "Was that-?"

"Oh yes, Lt-Cdr Larkin," Charge answered with a sly grin. "Someone is going to be in deep shit when they make it back on board, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when she finds out he didn't come home last night," Charge continued as he watched the figure walking down the dockside.

"Is it me or does he look pleased with himself?" asked 2-dads leaning on the railing watching Dutchy arrive at the ship.

The latter cast a quick salute as he crossed the gangplank. "How's your head 2-dads?" Dutchy called across.

"Ah, okay," he answered warily. "You look pleased with yourself, and am I right that you're still wearing what you had on at the bar last night," he grinned wickedly.

"Very observant," he grinned.

Charge frowned, Dutchy seemed too happy. "So you had a good night last night?" he asked, wondering whether he should pass on the news about the new arrival.

"Yep, now I've got to get changed, I'm on watch soon," he turned to leave the deck.

"Dutchy, maybe now's not a good time to tell you your girlfriend just arrived and I'm guessing you don't want us to mention that brunette from the bar last night," he almost cackled.

Charge's frown deepened when Dutchy's smile never wavered. "She's looking for the CO," the engineer confirmed.

"You can tell her what you like," Dutchy chuckled and headed inside.

"He must have seriously got laid last night to not worry about his girlfriend turning up," 2-dads mused his mouth hanging open in shock, the effects of the hangover momentarily forgotten.

…..

Elena knocked on the door to the senior's mess and pushed the door open and stepped inside. Kate was eating breakfast and looked up.

"Elena? I didn't know you were coming."

"Neither did I until last night. It seems I'm the only one who speaks Russian that could get here fast enough. I've brought some info from ASIO too, would you mind if I changed first and got breakfast before I fill you in?"

"Sure," she stood up and opened the door looking into the hallway. "RO ask the X to report to me here at the rush."

"Yes Ma'am."

Kate closed the door again and turned to Elena. "I wasn't expecting you to be sent."

"Instructions from Canberra. They want me on the boarding you're going to do when that ship sails," Elena answered.

"Do Megan or Dutchy know you're coming?"

"No, I was recalled from the ranch as soon as your call came in yesterday and I barely had time to pack before I was on a plane."

"How are things with your father?"

"Okay for now, the chest infection he had last month has finally gone, but he's weak," Elena answered sombrely. "We've been busy with the lawyers and the bank trying to sort out a few things. He's signed over control of the ranch to me, it will make things easier when I'm dealing with the contractors who are doing up the place. "

"That must make it tough for you."

"I've worked out a system and NAVCOM have been pretty accommodating. Having said that I've missed being at sea, so it's good to be back on board," Elena responded.

"Just missed being at sea?" Kate asked, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Megan.

"You wanted to see me Boss?" Kate sat down at the table again allowing the young woman to see who else was present. "Elena!" Megan squealed and hugged her friend, much to Kate's amusement.

After a moment when they had calmed down and Elena had quickly explained her lack of contact for the last few days Kate interrupted the reunion. "X, make space in your cabin for Lt-Cdr Larkin and tell senior sailors to meet us in the ship's office in 30 minutes."

"Yes Boss," Megan agreed. "D'you want me to tell them why?"

"No, we'll wait until we're all together. But you can inform Dutchy to report here for breakfast with our guest."

Elena looked at Kate, "that's not necessary, I'm sure he's quite busy."

"I recommend you accept my generosity, once we sail you'll be restricted to the no fraternisation rule." Kate smiled conspiratorially before standing up again and gathering her dirty dishes and leaving the room.

Megan looked at Elena, "we'd better get you settled."

…..

2-dads eventually made it to the galley for breakfast, the sensation in his stomach from all the alcohol supressed by the thoughts racing around his head. He remembered Dutchy seeming to be in a deep conversation with a brunette at the bar when Charge hauled him away. Then he had clearly been off the ship all night, what bothered 2-dads was the way he had reacted to the ribbing when he found out the woman who had clearly been on his mind all patrol had just shown up on board.

"2-dads!" he looked up at the shout from across the counter. "Are you eating breakfast or standing there looking at it?"

"Birdie, there are just some things that need a little extra thought," he answered cheekily.

"It's breakfast, the same as yesterday, the same as tomorrow, it doesn't need thinking about," she answered in exasperation.

"Not breakfast, have you ever thought what would happen if a certain member of the ship's crew were to be caught out by his girlfriend?"

Bird stopped serving and looked at him. "I think you're still drunk 2-dads,"

2-dads grabbed at a slice of toast on the serving hatch and took a bite. "Oh Birdie, you've got such a lot to learn, mark my words there's going to be fireworks when a certain someone finds out that another certain someone was out all night with a girl in a bar."

Bird's eyes opened like saucers, "I just saw Lt-Cdr Larkin arrive, but you mean, Dutchy didn't come back to the ship last night? He wouldn't-"

"Came back just after she arrived still wearing his clothes from last night-" he interrupted, only to be interrupted himself.

"2-dads, do you want to be cleaning the ship with a toothbrush?" Dutchy asked stopping behind him.

"I thought you'd changed your ways- … Morning ma'am." 2-dads changed tack when he saw Elena, now wearing her camouflage uniform join them.

"Morning. How's the hangover leader?" she asked.

"You know?"

"You were still looking a little green when I arrived. Dutchy, Bird." She formally greeted the others.

"Bird get the usual for the Lt-Cdr, and load me up," Dutchy requested then turned to Elena. "I'll bring them through if you want to go ahead and grab a brew."

"Sounds good, coffee?"

"Thanks." Elena turned and disappeared into the Senior's mess while Dutchy turned back to 2-dads. "something wrong leader?"

"You don't see your girlfriend for 3 weeks and you greet her like you would the boss!" 2-dads spluttered.

"She's a ranking officer, in uniform and there's a no fraternisation rule." Dutchy took the plates offered by bird and followed Elena.

The door slammed closed and for a few seconds 2-dads stood still, then seemed to come out of the trance and quickly stepped over to the door and listened.

"2-dads!" hissed Bird. "You shouldn't do that!"

"Sh! It's all quiet, I bet they're not sticking to the no fraternisation rules now." He pressed his ear against the door.

* * *

_More in a couple of days... but please press the blue button and leave a comment_


	36. Spooked

_Thank you for the reviews. This is for Krystilauren, ParkerGirl, kazzyj and Rachel_

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**Part 36 - Spooked**

Elena set the cups on the table as Dutchy entered and kicked the door closed behind him then quickly put the plates down; he then turned to Elena.

"He is so heading for a fall," she said in barely more than a whisper.

He stepped forward, pressed a finger to his lips and pointed to the door. "Sh, watch this," he whispered giving her a beaming smile and she nodded in acknowledgement. They both knew what was likely to be happening on the other side. Dutchy curled his hand around the door handle and paused for a few seconds then yanked open the door, sending 2-Dads sprawling at their feet with an agonised squeal.

"Aaahh, Dutchy! Why d'you do that?" he moaned, rapidly pushing himself to his feet.

"Ah, why d'you think 2-Dads?" he replied. "Listening at doors to your crew-mates can get you into a lot of trouble, now I suggest you go finish breakfast and report to the bridge for your duty watch," he answered sternly, fixing the younger sailor with a firm stare.

He waited for a minute until 2-Dads collected his breakfast from an amused and surprised Bird and entered the junior sailor's mess, then he closed the door and wrapped his arm around Elena. "Now I can give you a proper hello," he grinned.

"You mean last night wasn't enough?" she asked with a grin of her own before he kissed her.

"You know I think they were too drunk to notice the disguise," he told her as he slowly released her.

"Even Charge? I thought you said he was sober."

"He was too busy looking after 2-Dads, they think I spent the night with some random brunette I met in a bar. You never did say why you were in disguise."

"I wasn't exactly; I've been thinking about changing my hair and decided to try out something different without the long term consequences."

"Well I'm glad you haven't, I like the blonde look." He ran a hand over her hair, "too many women these days fake it and I like the real deal."

"Why do I get the impression you're not just talking about my hair?" she asked, stepping out of his hold.

"Maybe I'm not, but I guess you'll have to wait until we're off the ship now to find out," he answered suggestively, catching her hand and pulling her closer one more time. He brought his hands up to her face gently cupping her cheeks then gently rubbed his nose with hers before he leaned into kiss her. Elena responded instantly and deepened the kiss. Dutchy allowed himself a brief moment of indulgence as he slid one hand to the back of her neck, almost afraid that if he moved his hand completely that she would pull away again, while the other hand explored her curves, as best he could with her wearing overalls. It was enough though to rekindle the memories of the night before though as he felt her grip the short hair at the base of his neck and pulling him closer.

A noise from the galley permeated their passion filled moment and they pulled apart. "I think we'd better stop before someone walks in," Elena panted, "besides, breakfast is getting cold." He watched as she slid across the benched seat and left him enough room to sit next to her.

"So what were you doing in that bar last night? You never did tell me," he asked sitting down and reaching for the various condiments spread across the table at the same time as ensuring he invaded her personal space just a little bit.

"You know I haven't said a lot about my job?"

"Because you didn't know what you were going to be doing here."

"It's a little more than that… I was actually in the bar following up some Intel we had on the Russian Trawler."

Dutchy felt his stomach flip and pushed his plate away then half turned to her. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not gonna like what you say next?" he asked sombrely.

"You can hear it now or you can wait until I tell everyone at the briefing, but I'd rather you chose the first option." She waited for him to nod before speaking again, "I've been seconded to the ASIO office in Cairns, my experience in diplomatic circles and some time at our Embassy in Moscow and the UN delegation in New York, put me on their radar to support the work going on around here with the terrorist threats."

As she spoke he felt every muscle in his body tense, he couldn't believe that after Madeleine he'd let himself get so consumed with another ASIO agent. He couldn't think clearly, his head was pounding.

"Dylan?" she rested her hand on his arm, and he was snapped out of his daze, throwing her hand off like she had just burnt him. Then he got up and ran his hand through his hair. "I know what you're thinking … I know she betrayed you, but I'm not Madeleine. I didn't ask for this job and you know I wouldn't have had a choice. If you ask me it's some perverted form of punishment. … Please, talk to me."

He was standing with his back to her and forced himself to look over his shoulder at her. "You waited until now to tell me, you couldn't have said anything a month ago?" he growled at her.

"I didn't know until after you sailed, and you know very well I couldn't put it in an email or talk about it over the phone." He glared at her, the lingering images of Madeleine Cruse morphing across Elena's features. He shook his head.

"Last night, you couldn't tell me then?"

"I don't believe you're so thick! You damn well know there are restrictions on what we can say and when, you seriously think that in a foreign port where you don't know who might be listening is the right place?"

He heard her arguments and although deep inside he knew she was right, he still couldn't rid himself of the memories of the previous agent he had been involved with. "Ah, come on Elena, there are ways you know that."

"I know you don't really think that, you're angry I understand, I know what happened, I know she betrayed you in more ways than one and she's in prison for a very long time because of it."

"Yeah, you know everything, you even think you know everything about me because you've read my file, well you're wrong, you know nothing about me and I'm not going to have some new ASIO spook using me to get what they want. We're through!"

He yanked open the door and stormed off down the corridor, Elena made no effort to follow him.

"Dutchy!" Bird called after him, surprised at the unexpected manoeuvre.

….

Elena had expected an outburst, but she'd fully expected to be able to explain everything rationally. It wasn't until he stormed out that she realised she must still be missing some information about his relationship with Madeleine Cruse. She needed to brief the CO before meeting with the senior sailors and was moving towards the door when there was a knock.

She opened the door, the two barely touched food plates in her hands that she lifted from the table a few seconds before. "Bird, I'm sorry, it's probably great, but we were too busy discussing the upcoming operation," Elena offered in an attempt to explain why they hadn't eaten.

"Is everything alright Ma'am?" the young sailor asked taking the plates.

"Yeah, it will be, we just had a difference of opinion about the mission," Elena answered using her presence for the operation to cover for the real disagreement. "Do you know where I can find the CO?"

"She's either on the bridge or in her cabin," Bird answered casting a concerned look down the corridor where Dutchy had disappeared. "Should someone talk to Dutchy?"

"No leave him alone for a bit, he needs time to think," Elena hoped that she sounded convincing. She didn't want anyone getting on his bad side until he'd had a chance to calm down and process everything.

Bird seemed to think for a moment then turned into the galley, leaving Elena to find the CO and brief her.

….

2-Dads entered the cabin he shared with RO and another sailor, just as Robert was hauling himself out of his bunk.

"Ergh, what is that smell?" RO groaned as he planted his feet on the floor. "Have you been defecating in here 2-Dads?"

"Hey buddy, it's nothing to do with me, but-" he sniffed the air a little, "you're right it stinks."

"What time is it?" RO asked looking around for his watch, which normally sat on the small desk overnight and was conspicuous by its absence.

"Time you were up ROey, you're missing all the fun, we've got a visitor," 2-Dads grinned.

"Yeah very funny, besides I know we've got a visitor, someone from ASIO is coming to brief the CO on that Russian Trawler." RO curled his nose up and a disgusted look settled on his face, "what is that smell?"

2-Dads sniffed the air again, this time a bit nearer the other sailor and grimaced, "Robert did you fall into something on the way back to the ship last night, you smell like the crew's washing from the last 3 weeks has been left in the toilet."

RO jumped up and briefly held his head, then looked down at himself and quickly stripped off the shirt he was wearing. "What the hell happened last night, this isn't my shirt! I need a shower!" he exclaimed and 2-Dads laughed.

"You should have seen it RO I expected the guy to deck you when you asked for his shirt."

RO stopped as he was about to step into their bathroom, "don't be ridiculous 2-Dads why would I ask for some guy's smelly shirt?"

"Oh but you did, Charge said we played truth or dare and you were dared to swap shirts with some huge monster, probably from that Russian trawler. We have to get you drunk more often it makes you such a team player," 2-Dads teased.

"If that's what happens I don't think so, do me a favour and get rid of it while I shower and get some clean clothes."

"Me? No way, you got it you get rid of it. Oh and by the way the Boss wants you in the Comcen ASAP and Lt-Cdr Larkin's back, her and Dutchy are having breakfast in the seniors mess."

"As in-" Robert didn't get a chance to finish, before 2-Dads butted in.

"Yeah as in Dutchy's officer chick and former temporary CO of Hammersley, arrived on board an hour ago just before he made it back from staying out all night. I can see sparks flying before long when she finds out what he was up to last night with some brunette from the bar. Don't be long." He pulled open the door and was gone again before RO could assimilate all the information.

…..

Dutchy was on the bridge when Swain jogged up the stairs looking for him. "There you are, Boss wants you in the office for a briefing."

"Yeah, I know," he groaned, looking around to see if anyone else was listening.

"What's up? I heard you had a good night, it doesn't look like it now, someone find out you didn't come back to the ship?" asked Swain referring to Elena finding out.

"It was a good night and yeah, she knows I didn't come back last night. Let's get this over with." Handing over the ship to the bridge watch they headed for the office.

Swain followed him, still mulling over the conversation, which made no sense to him. All he knew was that the ship's Bosun having struggled with the lack of contact from home was now struggling with the news of her sudden arrival; he made a mental note to try and speak to him about it later. Now they needed to focus on the mission. Swain opened the door to the ship's office to find everyone else already assembled. Dutchy followed him in then pushed the door closed and leant against it with his arms folded, it wasn't difficult to see that he was looking anywhere but at Elena making it quite clear there was trouble in paradise.

"Thank you all for attending," Kate began. "Since our run in with the trawler yesterday NAVCOM have received new information about it and we've been learnt that it has been under surveillance for some time by a Federal and ASIO taskforce; besides its legal trading status it is thought to also been transporting illegal goods although previous boardings have revealed nothing. Lt-Cdr Larkin has flown up to join us with some more detailed Intel and to act as translator should the need arise. I believe you all know the Lt-Cdr so introductions are unnecessary and I will hand over to her to brief you." Kate gave a quick summary of things as they stood.

Elena looked around the assembled group quickly before laying out a few sheets of paper on the table.

"Before I go into the details of the proposed mission I have to explain my role, I would ask that for now what I tell you does not leave this room." Swain looked quickly over at Dutchy, as Elena continued. "Lt-Cdr McGregor and Dutchy already know what I'm going to say, I spoke with both of them this morning and to avoid confusion with the CO's role for the duration of my stay on board we have agreed that I will revert to my previous call sign of Sky."

Swain studied her as she continued, the way she had looked at Dutchy told him that whatever was said it had caused a rift between them, but she still proceeded to act professionally. A few minutes later he understood the reason for Dutchy's reaction on the bridge. The fact that she was working for ASIO spoke volumes.

…..

A couple of hours after the briefing the Russian Trawler finally set sail and they quickly followed. For most of the day they shadowed her just over the horizon, and as anticipated she crossed back into Australian waters on course for a remote island chain that had been highlighted by ASIO as a point of interest.

With the trawler's ETA anticipated at first light Elena and Megan were able to retire to their cabin to sleep. Elena changed first and lay in the top bunk staring at the ceiling as Megan climbed into the bottom one. Neither had really spoken since they were alone, but Elena knew that the questions would come and after dispensing with her father's health, how Nikki was doing back in Sydney and her new job, they both turned out the bunk lights.

In the dark Megan's voice floated upwards, "now are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Dutchy?"

"Nothing."

"Elena, you've barely said two words to each other all day and that was only because you had to. If you've heard the rumours on board about him staying ashore with some random brunette I'm sure it's wrong, but don't ignore him for it, you have to talk to him. Don't let ship's talk get you spooked."

"Meg, please, stay out of it. There is nothing going on. Last night isn't an issue, he was with me, the crew just haven't worked it out yet."

"How? I thought you flew in this morning."

"I got in earlier than planned and seeing as I wasn't expected on board until this morning I took the opportunity of doing a little observation work. The bar seemed like it was the centre of the universe for the dock workers so the chances of the Russian crew spending R&R there was a good bet. Our guys were in there when I arrived and judging by the game going already pretty plastered." She knew it was enough to prompt further questions.

"So you two hooked up?" Megan asked in that annoyingly knowing tone.

"Meg, please, I'm not giving you every lousy detail about us," Elena answered emphatically.

"So what went wrong?"

"I don't want to discuss it," Elena huffed and rolled onto her side trying to get comfortable.

"I'm sorry but I'm his divisional officer, I need to know what's going on with my sailors," Megan pulled the senior officer card that Elena hadn't experienced before.

"That's low Meg even for you. If it's that much of a problem ask him." Elena closed her eyes trying to block out what she knew would come next.

"I know something happened between you two at breakfast, everyone's talking about it. Does it have something to do with this ASIO assignment?"

"It's not for me to say. Now either go to sleep or change the subject," Elena almost pleaded, but Megan was still wanting to know.

"Hey, El, I know you're not here out of choice, but I thought we could-"

Elena flicked her light on again and jumped out of bed reaching for her overalls and quickly putting them on, prompting Megan to put her light on and sit up.

"What are you doing?"

"I need some air, I can't sleep and I refuse to discuss my love life while you're serving on the same ship as him." Elena snapped. "Correct that, I'm not discussing him with you at all, it's not fair on either of you." She turned and yanked open the door and stepped out in the corridor before closing it again and ending the conversation.

….

It was like deja-vu, he was standing at the rails of the boat deck staring at the night sky when he heard the creak of the bulk-head door. He expected her to come and stand next to him and was surprised when she chose to head for the opposite corner without even glancing his way. She would know he was there, but it didn't bother him that she had ignored him; he didn't know what to say to her anyway.

After a few minutes he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and he looked over, there were few times that she looked vulnerable but this was one of them. The midnight trip to the boat deck, the silence, the posture as she leant on the railings and just stared out to sea or at the stars, it took him back to the first time he had noticed it as they were anchored off of Lockhart River after the storms when Niko was most on her mind.

He watched her for a few minutes and wondered whether he had been right to react the way he had. What had happened between them at breakfast had bugged him all day and he couldn't help wondering how much her current sleeplessness had to do with him. Maybe she was right, that she wasn't like Madeleine, but could he afford to take the chance, after all what were the chances of having 2 ASIO agents working both sides in such a short space of time in the same office? No, he needed a clear head and that meant keeping her at arm's length, not letting himself get drawn in by the increasing feelings he was having for her.

He glanced down at the dark waters of the sea swirling around the propellers below them, but he couldn't help being drawn back to watching her. He had to find a way to forget her, put their relationship behind him and find a normal woman who wasn't after him because they wanted to use him. For a while he thought he'd found it in her, but she'd blown that illusion the moment she mentioned she was an ASIO spook. It took all of his will power to ignore the desire to go closer; instead he turned away and headed back inside without a word.

* * *

_please don't get me ... _

_The whole story is written, just comment via the blue button and I'll upload the next part.  
_


	37. Ship's Gossip

_Review thank yous to kazzyj, seaman scotty, krystilauren and wickeduk. HEre's the next instalment, wickeduk, I hope it keeps you amused on the train. _

**37 - Ship's Gossip**

Elena stayed on deck after he went in, she had thought for a moment he might talk to her, but when he left it was quite clear that for some reason he still hadn't forgiven her for being associated with ASIO. As she stood there she began to think, maybe he was just using it as an excuse. After all when he'd approached her at the bar, it was clear he wasn't expecting to see her, maybe he was just relieved that he'd got a reason to dump her so he could go back to his old ways.

Men like him didn't want commitment or routine, for a while she may have been a challenge, but the chase hadn't lasted long and that's what guys like him thrived on. They didn't do all the stuff that came after. In the beginning she was his commanding officer, it added that extra rush of adrenalin and he probably gloated the whole time she was on that patrol that he'd managed to get her into bed.

She stared over to the railing where he had been standing then looked back at the expanse of sea behind them. She wondered why she allowed herself to fall for the wrong guys, ones that seemed to drop her when her job got in the way. It had happened twice before when she'd dated guys out of the service, this time she broke her personal rules and let herself get sucked in to thinking that he understood, that there was some common ground that would keep them together because he was Navy too.

Maybe the problem was that she was a senior officer, she was too intimidating, perhaps she should give up the Navy, go and run the ranch full time. It needed someone to take the reins of the business, but then again she was still a woman in a position of authority, how many people would she meet in those circles that would see her any other way?

It felt like a million different things were running through her head, each becoming less coherent than the last. She sat down on the deck her back against the rails just let everything wash over her as the waves lapped against the side of the ship and the engines droned beneath her.

….

Dutchy passed the galley and heard noises then paused and pushed the door open.

"Sorry X, I heard a noise." He'd already begun backing out when Megan spoke.

"It's okay, I couldn't sleep and thought I'd make some hot chocolate, can I get you something?"

"Nah, I'm already wired on too much coffee, I should get some sleep." He tried again to leave, but stopped when she looked at him.

"She wouldn't tell me what happened between you and I don't suppose you'll tell me either and officially I don't need to know, but neither of you have been normal today, you're both trying hard to keep things professional-"

"Do you have a problem with me Ma'am?" He interrupted, not wanting to listen to a lecture but was curious if she would take sides.

"No, and as she told me it's none of my business and right now officially it isn't, but I just don't want to see things escalate to the extent that it becomes a problem. Dutchy I'd like to think that I'm your friend as well as hers and I can see whatever it is has got to both of you. You need to talk," she advised in the friendliest tone she could muster.

"With all due respect Ma'am, there's nothing I can say to her right now that will make any difference," he answered tersely.

Megan stirred the two cups of hot chocolate carefully as she appeared to consider her next words, he waited to hear if she had any response and figuring it may take a while he leant against the fridge intending to hear her out hoping that she might tell him something that would help him resolve the inner conflict he felt every time he argued with Elena.

"If this gets back to her that I've told you she's gonna kill me, but I'm going to say it anyway … I've known Elena for years, we met soon after we joined up. She's a brilliant academic and was fast-tracked from the start, as a result she doesn't have as much practical experience, she's more of a diplomat, but she can still stand her ground in a crisis." Dutchy stood patiently hoping she would get to the point so he could leave without appearing rude. "Anyway I'm off track," she began again. "The thing is right from the minute I saw you together the day we boarded that boat and she's not ready to admit it to herself yet, but she's fallen for you Petty Officer Dylan Mulholland, and she will continue to let things stay the way they are until you do something about it. I don't know what caused the rift between you and I don't want to know, but I'm guessing it has something to do with this mission and her role in it. She would have wanted things in the open with you before the briefing."

Dutchy's head was spinning as Megan paused to get her breath back after the lengthy speech. "X, are you serious?" he asked as her words slowly formed into coherent sentences in his tired brain.

"We're off duty and talking about a friend, it's Megan and yes I'm perfectly serious. Elena doesn't just fall for anyone and I don't think she's ever fallen this hard, but there's something else you should know. She might be in charge at work and have her stripes and medals to show for it, but when she takes her uniform off she's actually quite a traditional woman when it comes to relationships and she thinks too many men are intimidated by her rank to pay her any serious attention."

"Then she's an idiot," Dutchy answered without thinking.

Megan smiled. "Have you tried telling her that? Actually, telling her won't work, you need to show her."

Listening to Megan talk he could see what she was saying about Elena, but could it be that simple and he wondered if he was letting his memories of Madeleine cloud what was really happening. He was intrigued. "Maybe sometime you can tell me more," he suggested. "Your drinks are getting cold."

"I was going to talk to Elena, but I've stuffed up enough for tonight, I'm going to head back to bed. Perhaps you could do me a favour and take this to her, I suspect she's somewhere on deck." She held up one of the cups.

"Boat deck, she spent a lot of time out there during our patrol." He hadn't intended to give away her hideout, but he thought someone should talk to her.

"She hates being cooped up and if she's upset or angry she likes to be outside. Given the chance she'd be out riding, she finds it therapeutic."

"I think it would be better if you went out, she's more likely to forgive you." He was still assimilating the fact that, at least according to her best friend, she had fallen for him. It sounded more than her just being along for the ride as she said that day on the boat.

"You know I really think I'm the last person Elena wants to see. She's hiding out there to avoid me, but she would like to talk to you."

"I was just out there, she never said a word," he said, unable to figure out what Megan was talking about. It made him wonder how anything ever got done if women were so complex.

"Did you?" she asked pointedly.

"No."

"Then she won't, she'll wait for you to start the conversation, it's her way of trying to protect herself." Although Dutchy seriously doubted that Elena or any of the female officers would need protection he couldn't help but start to wonder if he would ever really understand her.

"And me taking her a mug of hot chocolate will make a difference?" he asked, still confused as to Megan's view on things.

"It's an olive branch, a starting point. Don't let the ASIO thing get in the way she's only doing it because she has to." That was the second time that day that someone had said that she was only doing the ASIO job because she had to. He was about to ask her what she meant when the door opened to the galley and Charge stuck his head in.

"Ah, ma'am you're needed on the bridge," he greeted, his tone relieved, like he had been looking for her for a while.

Megan handed Dutchy the two mugs and looked at him. "Think about what I said." She offered cryptically before leaving the room. Charge then looked at Dutchy.

"You alright mate? You look like you just got a grilling."

"You could say that." Dutchy answered pensively, "I'm beginning to think I stuffed up big time Charge."

"Well there's only one answer for that-" Charge paused as if his comment needed no explanation.

"What's that?" Dutchy asked finally.

"Grovelling …. Big time, … and if you're talking about a woman, I suggest flowers, or jewellery and don't talk about other women," the engineer answered conspiratorially.

"That's what got me into trouble in the first place."

"You told her about last night?" Dutchy wondered what everyone's interest was about last night. He wasn't aware that the rumour still circulating was that he slept with someone from the bar and no one had made the connection with Elena.

"Nah, worse, I accused her of being an ASIO double agent." There, he'd finally voiced what was really bothering him.

"The Lt- Cdr?" Charge asked surprised. "That's gonna take some major sucking up, good luck with finding the right option," Charge hissed. "Maybe it would have been better to tell her about the brunette."

"That won't work either, she already knows."

Charge's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Let me get this straight, … she knows about the brunette last night and you fight over an ASIO double agent? You've got your priorities screwed mate, you should be-" he was stopped by the sudden laughter emanating from his crew mate. "Okay, am I missing something here?"

Dutchy suppressed the laughter, "Charge I'm surprised at you. We fooled you."

Charge looked confused for a moment, then his eyes nearly popped again as the realisation sunk in what his shipmate was saying. "You mean it was the Lt-Cdr in the bar? But she's not brunette."

"She was on covert surveillance, after you guys left we went back to her hotel."

"And she didn't tell you about ASIO until this morning," Charge confirmed, finally connecting the dots. "2-Dads is gonna love this."

"Charge! You can't say anything only the seniors are supposed to know about her ASIO Status. Whatever my problems are with that shouldn't be used against her to make her the subject of ships gossip."

"So it's safer to let them think you were with some other woman and that's why you're fighting?"

"It's working isn't it?"

Charge sighed then gave him a half grin, "you still owe her some major sucking up."

He walked out leaving Dutchy looking at the two mugs he was holding, which surprisingly were still hot. He decided that even if things didn't get back to where they were the night before, he still missed talking to her, so he headed towards the deck for the second time that night.

….

Elena watched him walk across the deck towards her carrying two mugs, one of which he handed to her before sitting down next to her. She sipped the hot liquid and waited for him to speak, but he didn't.

"Thanks for the chocolate," she ventured finally, trying to break the ice.

"The X made it, I'm just the messenger, she got called away." His voice bore none of the hallmarks of his normally laid back mood, he sounded dejected.

"I'm glad you came back," she answered, not that she expected anything to come of it.

He put down his cup next to him and rested his head back. "I would have brought real chocolate too, but Bird's found a new hiding place for it."

"That's okay, it's too late for food anyway. This is perfect." She answered indicating the drink but then lapsing into silence. They were sitting so their shoulders were virtually touching and she was tempted to rest her head on him, but their position on deck and the current rift between them stopped her. She wondered whether he was staying because he felt obliged or because he wanted to, so she gave him an option, "you don't have to stay if there's somewhere else you need to be."

She wasn't really sure what to expect after what happened at breakfast, but it was like all the fight had gone out of him, his answers were monotone and carefully thought through. "Where do you want me to be?"

"That's a loaded question and I guess it depends on what you want. I'm not about to force you to sit here and talk to me if you'd rather be somewhere else." She would admit to being a little cross at the way he turned the offer back onto her, after all he was the one with the problem not her, he had been the one to walk away.

"And if I want to sit here?"

She took a deep breath, considering what to say, hoping that she could keep her frustration contained, "Dylan, I don't know what you expect me to say … this morning I tried to be honest with you and it backfired pretty spectacularly. I know you've got issues with ASIO, but I can't continue to compete with the ghosts of your past and if it still affects you this much then maybe you need to consider getting help, talking to someone about the shooting, about what Madeleine did."

"I've had counselling and passed fit for duty," he snapped.

"Well there's something going on and you need to find a way to deal with it," his reaction was enough to make her snap at him in return, releasing some tension.

Elena started to stand up but he reached out and wrapped his hand around her arm stopping her. "Don't go." The anger from a few seconds earlier was gone again and the defeated tone was back, but it wasn't getting them anywhere.

"It's not going to do either of us any good sitting out here trading punches. It's only a few hours until we plan on boarding the Russian Trawler, we both need sleep." He let her arm go, but she didn't move, nor did she look at him; now kneeling on the deck she tried to work up the energy to walk away.

"I'm sorry Elena, tell me I'm an idiot, … I don't want this, you said ASIO and I just can't shake the feeling that it's all gonna happen again. I know it's stupid and I'm probably wrong-"

He stopped speaking suddenly and she looked up, "you are wrong, but I guess I have no way to prove it to you. I know what's in your file, but I don't think that's the whole story, there's something else that maybe no one knows. …. You don't have to tell me, but you need to deal with it." Elena pushed herself to her feet, picked up her cup and paused for a few seconds. "Try and get some sleep."

She turned and walked away. Nothing was really resolved, but she felt as if things maybe weren't quite as bad as before.

…..

Swain climbed the stairs to the bridge early the next morning, carrying two mugs of coffee. Dutchy was sat at the helm and two other junior sailors were at the EOD and marine link consoles, he sat in the command chair and handed over one of the mugs to Dutchy.

"Thanks mate."

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Swain asked keeping his voice low so the others didn't hear.

"Some."

"You know I'm starting to see a pattern with the last time she was on board." Swain gauged his words carefully.

"You have a point Swaino?" Dutchy asked raising his mug to take a drink.

"You two had a disagreement yesterday at breakfast, she's been ultra-professional and you've been miserable ever since. NAVCOM already know about your relationship so it makes me wonder why you're creating obstacles." There was nothing to report about breaking the fraternisation rules because the brass already knew and the fact that the whole crew knew about them and would certainly rib Dutchy over it would be enough to keep their behaviour discreet.

"Not their choice, ASIO called the shots on this one, she's the only one in Cairns that speaks Russian." That at least made some kind of logical sense, but it still didn't explain why they were creating problems where they didn't exist before.

"Puts you in a difficult position though," Swain commented, glancing over his shoulder to ensure their quiet conversation remained confidential.

"I can handle it." He sounded somewhat confident, but Swain still wasn't convinced and at the risk of pushing things too far he continued.

"You know when you're not trying to avoid each other you're good together, reminds me a bit of me and Sal. Elena's got enough fire and guts to keep you on your toes and you need that, those women in bars may be fine for a night, but they're not the ones you want for the long haul."

"And you think I'm looking for the long haul?"

"Since Laurel Andrews you've changed, you don't get the same enjoyment from the women who flaunt themselves at you." Swain was still hedging somewhat rather than being direct, still wary about getting on the Bosun's wrong side, because although Dutchy might not be speaking to Elena he would still back her in an argument with any of the ship's crew. Despite his reputation he still had a certain respect for women and a need to see them protected.

"So great guru what do you suggest?" The slightly more jovial tone made Swain smile, now he could edge the conversation towards the real issue.

"I assume she knows about Madeleine."

"Only what's in our files." Swain had hoped for a more detailed answer, but Dutchy clearly wasn't ready to open up completely.

"You've not talked about her?"

"Swaino it's done, telling every little gory detail is not going to do anything." While Dutchy wasn't angry, his tone was firm enough to say he didn't want to open old wounds and this subject would do that.

"That's where you're wrong my friend, she's a smart woman and she'll know that not everything will be in your file. Most of the details will be in the official reports that she won't have access to. You should tell her the whole story," Swain tried to sound encouraging, pointing out the misconception about how much Elena may actually know of the whole terrorism plot they had been embroiled in a few months earlier. He knew only too well how raw some of the wounds still were.

"You think it will make a difference?" Dutchy asked, seeming to think seriously about the possibility.

Swain thought about how they'd watched each other surreptitiously during the briefing the day before and the half conversation he had shared with her over dinner, "she's confused, you blow her off because of her ASIO status but refuse to tell her why."

"She knows Madeleine betrayed us, the country," Dutchy countered, making another attempt at avoiding the subject.

Swain had no option now but to force the point, "does she know she tried to kill you?"

"If it's in-" Dutchy started, but he wasn't allowed to get away with it this time.

"Your file, I get it. You need to tell her, I think it would help your situation. She'll have a better understanding of why you have taken this so hard."

Unfortunately footsteps on the stairs announced the arrival of Kate and Megan and stopped any further conversation.

"Good morning, everything alright Swain?" Kate asked assuming he was in charge from where he was sitting.

Dutchy was the one to answer, "actually ma'am we haven't handed over yet, all's quiet, we still have the trawler on radar just over the horizon, they're still steaming for the island. RO should be up soon with the weather report and any updates from NAVCOM."

"Okay, thank you Dutchy, head off for breakfast. Swain sound the wakeup call for the crew. … Captain has the ship."

"Captain has the ship," echoed Dutchy as he left the helm and handed over to Swain. Kate sat in the command chair while Megan checked over the radar and EOD images and assessed their course options.

Another day on Hammersley had begun.

* * *

_Do I need to hide? Please leave a message on your way out. _


	38. Keeping Professional

Thank you for reading, and to the reviewers. Enjoy this.

.

**Part 38 - Keeping Professional**

Before going to breakfast Dutchy returned to his cabin to collect his watch which he'd forgotten when going on duty earlier. He was about to leave again when an idea occurred to him he reached across his bunk and grabbed his phone. Switching it on he was surprised to see a signal although it wasn't much, but he hoped it would be enough for what he had in mind and quickly tapped out a message, before putting his phone in the shelf by his bunk and heading back into the corridor.

He collected his breakfast from Bird and moved into the senior sailor's mess to find it already occupied by Elena. He stopped in the doorway and apologised for the intrusion.

"It should be me apologising. I didn't want to eat on my own in the ward room. Charge has just left."

Her phone was on the table and chose that moment to beep. She picked it up and with one hand expertly scrolled though the message. He watched the smile creep across her face as she read the text.

"Good news ma'am?" he asked keeping the tone light. She didn't immediately answer and he wondered if it had been a bad move to send the message and ask her about it. On the other hand, she didn't ask him to leave and she had smiled when she read it, so he figured he was on safe ground as he tentatively sat down opposite her.

"I know it's a lousy way to apologise, but I wasn't sure I'd see you before we try and board that trawler," he tried to explain.

Elena scrolled through the message again, "you made the effort, that's what counts in my book. You can make it up to me properly when we're off the ship."

"I was an idiot to react the way I did and you were right not to say anything until you were on board," he started slowly, ignoring breakfast and watching her as she focused on her phone.

Eventually she looked up, "I know there will still be stuff going on, what happened was traumatic for all of you, but I don't want us to have secrets, which is why I wanted you to know before anyone else."

He stared at the table for a moment trying to assemble his thoughts, "I'm glad you did."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked and he looked up, she seemed confused.

"Yeah, I am. I'll say it again, I'm an idiot, I'm sorry for what I said, I just don't know what to say to-" he stopped when the door opened.

"Sorry to interrupt, Elena you're wanted in ComCen," Megan announced.

Elena acknowledged the request and stood up collecting her plate and cup then looked at Dutchy. "We'll talk later."

…..

Following receipt of new instructions Elena announced to the crew that they were to allow the trawler to proceed on its way for a while longer and to continue to shadow them, as a result the boarding was postponed and the crew given some additional down time. Elena spent some time on the bridge while she observed the crew. The atmosphere was calm as everyone set about their tasks.

With hardly any paperwork of her own she was left with little to do until they could interrogate the Russian crew, so she sat and scrolled through the messages on her phone, something she had taken to doing quite often over the last few weeks. There weren't a huge number, but he'd managed to send her something nearly every day they had been away, all of them had given her a reason to smile and making her miss him more. She thought back over the last few days and what had been said at breakfast, they really needed some space to talk, but they weren't going to get the chance very soon the way things were going and she needed a way to respond to what he had said before Megan interrupted them.

As her presence on the bridge wasn't essential she pushed her phone into her pocket and headed for the stairs. She found herself in the ship's office scrolling through her emails for a while, but the delay to the boarding and with no other responsibilities she had more thinking time than she wanted. Giving up with the emails she closed everything down and ran over the boarding plan again, not that it was necessary, she already knew their objectives and who was making up the boarding party, so she was soon without anything constructive to do again. She logged out of the computer and trawled the communal areas, having brief conversations with anyone she met, but that didn't take long, so eventually she found herself, with a cup of tea, migrating once again towards the boat deck.

…

Sometime later Dutchy knocked on Kate's door then opened it. "Ma'am you wanted to see me."

"Come in and close the door," her voice seemed quiet and tense as she gave him the instruction while standing up and stepping away from her desk. "I've received word from NAVCOM, … Madeleine Cruse's trial will begin next week." Kate stopped and sniffed. Dutchy could see the tears in her eyes, he knew of all the crew it would affect them the most. It took her several deep breaths before she was able to continue, "the senior crew will be asked to testify and when we get home the prosecutor will meet with everyone to go over their statements. We'll be pulled from full patrols, but only minimal shore leave will be granted until things are concluded."

Dutchy felt his stomach churn, he wasn't looking forward to taking the stand, "it will be good to finally have it over so we can get on with our lives." There was silence for a few minutes as Kate dabbed her eyes and they were both lost in their own thoughts.

Finally he looked up at her, "are you okay ma'am?"

She gave him a sad look, "yeah, I've been expecting this but now it's actually here, to face Jim's parents again-"she paused abruptly. "You're right though, I need this to bring closure to everything that happened in those 6 months," she paused again, giving herself a chance to regain her wavering composure. Silence descended again but she seemed to take the initiative. "Elena's in the ward room, you might want to tell her before she hears it from anyone else."

"This has nothing to do with her, it happened before we met," he answered firmly.

"Think about it Dutchy, you let her job here interfere with your personal relationship. … You were stuck in the middle between Mike and I, you know how that felt. I'm asking you not to do that to anyone else. Everyone on board knows that you're in a relationship, but it's hard to watch the two of you avoiding each other, it doesn't need to be that way … don't you think she will want to support you?" Kate seemed to be picking her words very carefully.

He shook his head and folded his arms over his chest, "she doesn't need to, I go in make my statement and that's the end of it, there's no need for her to know any of it." The last thing he wanted was for her to take pity on him for his bad choices. She was a good person and didn't deserve to be tarnished with his less than stellar history.

"Dutchy you can't protect her from this, it most likely will be all over the press, NAVCOM can only do so much to shield us from the press and with her position at ASIO more details will no doubt come out. She deserves to hear your side of what happened." Kate's words carried some truth, while a lot of the details at the time had not made the press, for an impartial hearing more gory details were going to be revealed.

"If the tables were turned is that what you would do?" he asked, feeling as if he was about to implode with the different emotions coursing through him.

"If I was intending to have a serious relationship with someone I wouldn't want there to be any secrets and if I were in Elena's shoes, I would want you to be honest with me," Kate answered. "I have Mike to support me," she continued carefully, her voice wavering a little. "You need someone to have your back, someone who cares about you. All I'm asking is for you to think about it."

…..

Elena was on her way to her cabin when she passed Dutchy on the stairs. After a brief greeting she stopped and turned back. "You've been avoiding me all afternoon, have you got something on your mind?" she asked, making him stop and turn around.

"I know you've had a few signals from ASIO this afternoon, so you probably know that the court case has been announced." He kept his voice low as he stepped down a few stairs leaving them at eye level.

"There was an announcement sent out to everyone in Cairns warning us off talking to the press. I figured you needed some space to get your head around things."

"What else do you know?"

"Not as much as you seem to think I know." She glanced around, satisfied that they still seemed to be alone she continued, "Your file had an extremely sanitised version of your involvement with the whole terrorist plot, I'll support you through everything, but I'd rather have a head's up before it all comes out next week in court. I can't help if I don't know what I'm helping you with."

"I don't need your support, this is nothing to do with you," he hissed.

"Fine if that's the way you want it," she answered and turned away heading for the crew quarters.

He closed his eyes and took a breath then followed her, "Elena, I'm sorry."

She stopped when he spoke and spun to face him, "I'm not sure you are, you're determined to keep me at arm's length when it comes to your history, I'm not asking you to spill everything, but right now I feel like I hardly know you. … Perhaps it's best we just stick to keeping professional and when I'm back home we steer clear of each other."

She pushed open the door to her cabin and stepped inside then slammed the door. Dutchy stood watching her closed door for a minute then rubbed his face and returned to his previous task.

…..

Having waited all day for word from NAVCOM they were finally given the news they were waiting for. The Russian trawler had docked for a few hours at the island and was now again on its way south. Allowing another hour or two to ensure it was some distance from the port they were finally ready to assemble the boarding party.

Elena turned into the tiny corridor where the gear was stowed to find Dutchy alone and unlocking the weapons cabinet, he was already wearing his Kevlar vest. Hearing her footsteps he looked up.

"I hear we got our orders," he greeted. He wasn't sure what to say to her after their earlier exchange so sticking to business seemed to be the best.

"About time I hate sitting around waiting," she answered, her voice and posture giving nothing away.

"Any change to our plan?" he asked, his eyes not leaving her as she reached into the cabinet and began to put on her own protective vest. He wondered what would happen if he were just to come clean with her.

"Only one, I've discussed it with Megan and the CO, we're switching you and Swain." She didn't seem disappointed with the decision.

"Why? Because of earlier?" he snapped causing her to turn and face him while he fixed her with a look that demanded an answer.

"I think you know. It's a good command decision and I can't work with someone who doesn't trust me. If something goes wrong we need to stay impartial and I don't think I can do that. Also I need Swain's police expertise when I question them. … You know it's the right decision, your place is with Meg and to follow her orders, she's leading the boarding, I'm there as translator."

He stepped closer to her and she backed up against the open cupboard and they stared at each other for a moment their bodies only inches apart. He was going to say something, but stopped, his head was spinning, he wanted to argue about the change in partners, he wanted to say a lot of things, but he couldn't form words for any of it. Hearing the call for the boarding party to assemble he reached into the cupboard behind her and took out a radio and helped her fix the wiring so it wouldn't snag. He stepped back as the noise of the gathering sailors approached.

It had been a while since they spoke and he still hadn't said anything to her about the decision. He didn't want them to go ahead without saying anything, but it was her to break the ice first. The look she gave him made it clear it wasn't going to happen. "I am sorry and we need to talk," he said quietly, before turning to face the other sailors as the first turned the corner into the confined space.

…..

The boarding itself was uneventful and they soon had the crew assembled on deck. Elena had watched from the side-lines for most of it and enjoyed seeing first-hand what a well organised team they were.

Megan tried using English to encourage the skipper to show himself, but the crew just sniggered among themselves. After a moment she turned to Elena. "Your turn, see how they react when they hear their own language, although I'm not sure the master is here, I don't see the one who claimed he was the other day."

"Okay, can someone bring the manifest and crew log and make sure we have everyone accounted for."

"2-Dads, wheelhouse, RO go with him," Megan instructed knowing that the sailors had already heard Elena's request.

Dutchy and Swain were standing watching the assembled crew as Elena moved towards them. She exchanged brief glances with the two petty officers then addressed the crew firstly in English. "Who is the master of this vessel?" she asked clearly only for a cackle of laughter to run around the group. "Okay then let's see what reaction we get now," she commented to the Hammersley crew.

"Looks like you've got a tough audience," Swain answered giving her an encouraging smirk.

"From experience the next 30 seconds are going to be a massive wake up call," she replied. She glanced at Dutchy who just raised his eyebrows at her. She turned to the Russian crew and eyeballed them for a moment as they all cackled again and gave her more than a few lecherous looks.

"I don't need to talk their language to have some idea of what they're thinking Ma'am." Dutchy retorted, apparently good-naturedly, which surprised her a little after their earlier exchange.

"Let's see if I can wipe those looks off their faces then," she answered glancing at him briefly before picking on the oldest looking sailor and beckoning him to stand up before addressing him in apparently fluent Russian. "Who is the master of this vessel? We have some questions to ask in accordance with Australian customs law."

Almost all the sailors suddenly stopped cackling and looked stunned. "Looks like it's having some effect," Dutchy acknowledged as the old sailor seemed to consider his position.

"You can chose to answer my questions and possibly go on your way or we will seize this vessel and its cargo and hand it over to the federal and customs authorities for further investigation," she continued, hoping to instil an element of co-operation into the crew.

Finally the old man spoke. Elena had several exchanges with him before RO and 2-Dads returned with the documents she had requested. She quickly flicked through them, then asked a few more questions and conducted a head count while checking their identities against their passports. She finished the last check and walked across the deck to Megan who was observing what was going on.

"Anything?" she asked hopefully.

"There's barely anything among the paper work in English, even their logs are mostly Russian, which in itself is suspicious, all shipping is supposed to have their logs in English or at least both languages. The crew all claim to know no other languages but I recognise a few of them from the bar the other night when I heard them speak a few words, one of them even had the nerve to try and chat me up and show off his skills, he obviously doesn't recognise me."

"I thought it was fishy when I saw all the Russian documents the other day. So what do we have?"

"A lot more questions and I'd like time to go through the rest of their paperwork," Elena responded.

"Steaming party?" Megan questioned.

"I don't see much option, but maybe a search of the ship first," Elena suggested as she looked over the ships manifest again. "Check that they are carrying what these say they are."

"Which is?"

"Oil, I don't think I'll ever understand why we export the stuff only to import more from somewhere else. Have you looked at the DFAT website lately? Maybe we need to lobby the politicians why we have these ridiculous trade dealings."

"Alright, off the hobby horse," Megan answered and looked around the gathered crew. "What do we do with the crew?"

"Keep them here for now, until you've finished the search then take them to Hammersley."

"Swain, stay with Sky, watch the crew. RO, 2-Dads, port side, we're looking for oil. Dutchy come with me." Elena got the sense that he was about to argue and clearly Megan thought the same. "Now Petty Officer," she commanded as she turned away.

….

The search revealed nothing and Swain watched as the main boarding party returned to Hammersley for the last time ferrying the remaining Russian crew. He looked at 2-Dads who had also remained behind, "let's go home."

Several hours into the journey with Hammersley steaming just over the horizon, Elena appeared on the bridge. Swain was watching over the controls, monitoring their course. "Hi, how's it going?"

"We should be in Cairns tomorrow morning," he answered her greeting and she handed over a mug of coffee.

"Here, I managed to find something that was relatively clean to make up some coffee. 2-Dads is taking a snooze in the mess, he'll relieve you in a couple of hours. It'll be good to get some rest before the storm hits." Swain took a mouthful of the coffee.

"It's not the worst I've had, you should have tasted the stuff Bird used to make when she first became Chefo," he chuckled.

"I heard, I gather Becca has been giving her cooking lessons during her shore leaves," Elena confirmed as she leant against the console and cast her eyes over the gauges.

"I think everyone will be eternally grateful for that. … How are you getting on with their documentation?"

"So far it all seems pretty routine paperwork, all supports the manifest, but I still think there's something bigger going on here, I just can't pinpoint what it is," she sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes.

"Why don't you take a couple of hours break yourself, I can manage here and if I need you we've got the radios."

"No, I should get back, I've left my coffee with the papers, I'll let you know if I find anything." She moved to the door then stopped and looked back, "we're due for a check in with Hammersley, can you take care of it?"

"No problem Ma'am, I'll also get RO to give us an update on that predicted storm," Swain acknowledged and turned his attention back to the expanse of sea visible in the moonlit night.

…..

It was after midnight when RO banged on Megan's door waking her up. She propped herself up in the bunk and switched on the light as the door opened.

"I'm sorry to wake you ma'am but Charge asked me to tell you that the steaming party are overdue on their last check-in." RO announced as he used the door for support. It was then that Megan noticed the heavy roll of the ship, the storm threatened earlier must have started after she fell asleep and it wasn't unknown for her to sleep through some pretty rough conditions.

"How long?" she asked, pulling her hair into a makeshift pony tail and climbing out of bed.

"40 minutes, we've been trying every 5 minutes but there's nothing and their signal on radar just disappeared."

* * *

_Things heat up a fair bit after this, reveiw and I'll post more. For those interested in the other site, it is seapatrol (dot) com. To access the fanfiction area you'll need to sign up and log in._


	39. Lost at Sea

_Thanks for the reviews to SeaPatrol12, kazzyj, wickeduk and seamen scotty.  
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_This resumes where the previous chapter ended …._

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**Part 39 – Lost at Sea**

"_40 minutes, we've been trying every 5 minutes but there's nothing and their signal on radar just disappeared."_

Megan looked at RO, "where's Dutchy?" She was grateful she had fallen asleep on her bunk still wearing half her clothes, something she had always done when storms were threatened at night; you never knew when you might have a rude awakening.

"In his rack Ma'am, Charge is officer of the watch, he said to call you; do you want me to tell the CO?"

Megan pulled on her naval combat shirt, "yes, and get an update from NAVCOM on the storm's path and intensity. I'll bring Dutchy and meet you on the bridge."

RO acknowledged the order, "yes Ma'am." He ducked out of her cabin pulling the door behind him as the ship pitched again, throwing Megan off balance and making her curse heavily as she collided with the wall.

A few moments later she was opening the door again and practically ran into Dutchy in the hallway. He looked at her surprised, "is everything alright X? I thought I heard RO."

She looked at him and shook her head, now was not the time for her to be emotional, but she couldn't help but be worried under the circumstances. "Bridge, now," she breathed, turning towards the stairs to the upper deck.

"We got another mayday? Not surprised in this storm, at least it's not throwing us around as much as the one we were in last month." His tone was somewhat light-hearted as he followed her.

She paused on the stairs and turned to him, "it's the trawler; we've lost contact with them." She stood for a moment as he took in the news.

"So they've missed a check-in, it happens a lot in a storm, signal strength just drops out from all the atmospheric conditions."

She could understand his rational explanation, but he wasn't in possession of all the facts … not yet. He made to move past her when she rested a hand on his arm. "Not this time, they dropped off radar too, they're lost at sea."

He didn't wait for her to say anything else and headed up the stairs two at a time.

…..

Megan and Dutchy arrived at the bridge the same time as Kate left her cabin. Hurrying up the stairs Kate glanced around and fixed her attention on Charge.

"What have we got Charge?" she demanded, while Megan stepped over to their map table and Dutchy took up position at the radar and EOD stations. Kate hopped into the command chair as the information was efficiently passed on.

"An hourly check-in was kept until two hours ago; the steaming party are 45 minutes overdue for their last one. We have been calling on all channels at 5 minute intervals without success, then 10 minutes ago we also lost them from radar, we've changed course to intercept their last recorded position."

"Captain has the ship," Kate announced then turned towards her communications officer as Charge echoed the change in command. "Robert, I need to speak to Commander White or Commander Flynn at NAVCOM, also send out an alert to all shipping in the area and continue 5 minute calls to the team."

"Yes Ma'am, I'm on it." he responded, shuffling some papers at his station before calling the team again prior to placing the call to NAVCOM.

"X, plot a search grid, starting with their last known position and working back a maximum of 2 hours." Kate continued to issue orders.

"Working on it already," she replied, her head bent over the table as she drew lines across the map to work out the search grid. "What are the co-ordinates Dutchy?"

"-15.5383 by 148.3593, it puts them about 4 hours ahead of us after we stopped for that mayday earlier," he answered flatly. "The storm doesn't explain why we lost them from radar," he continued, expressing the thoughts on everyone's mind.

"X set course for those co-ordinates, flat strap. RO post the call to NAVCOM to my cabin. Tiger, call Bird, ask her to put on some coffee and snacks, Buck can help her, it's going to be a long night," Kate instructed the various members of the crew who all acknowledged her as she left the chair and headed for the stairs. Before descending she paused and looked between Megan and Dutchy trying to concentrate on their tasks. "X, Dutchy when I'm through with NAVCOM I'll see you both in my cabin."

Neither of them looked up but they did acknowledge her order. "X you have the ship."

"Yes Ma'am, I have the ship," Megan replied and glanced up as Kate disappeared down the stairs.

…..

Mike reached over and grabbed the phone from his night-stand. "Mike Flynn," he mumbled into the device as he tried to gather his thoughts. He listened for a moment then bolted up in bed and reached for the light.

"How long ago?" he asked looking around his room, his eyes adjusting to the light as he identified where he had left his uniform the night before. "No, I'll handle it, Commander White is out of town tonight. I'll be there in 15 minutes, give Lt-Cdr McGregor whatever she needs in the way of Intel, find out if we can get a coast watch plane to fly over and I want to know if we have any assets nearer than Hammersley."

He paused for a few seconds while the other party spoke, "good, have them set course for the last known co-ordinates and put Lt-Cdr McGregor through now." Several clicks later he heard her voice. "Kate? Are you alright?"

"_Hammersley's fine Mike, I expect you've been briefed. … We're heading for their last known co-ordinates now." _

He thought she sounded tired, but she was doing well to mask it with her CO's tone, he knew for her it was how she had to handle the situation. He just hoped that the trawler would be located soon and the ship could come home for some much needed R&R. He offered what help and comfort he could from a distance and for a moment wished he was out there with them. "Darwin are passing near the area on their way to the Philippines, they're being tasked with joining the search and taking point," he informed her. When she didn't immediately respond he pushed his hand through his hair and wondered what to say to break the silence. "How are the crew?" he asked eventually.

"_They seem fine for now. I'm going to speak with Dutchy and Lt Matthews after we're done. Of all the crew they're likely to take this hardest with Elena being on board."_

"Did she manage to uncover anything new from their paperwork?" he asked hoping to ascertain any new information that might shed light on what might have happened to them.

"_Nothing of any importance, all their documentation seemed in order, they were running empty, due to pick up from the Morristown Rig tomorrow evening, but she felt the paperwork was too clean so she was still digging."_

As much as he wanted to keep her on the line and change the subject it would have to wait, so he did his best to reassure her, "alright, well I'm heading into NAVCOM now, I'll call you when I've been briefed by the duty watch on other assets and the weather. We'll find them Kate, you know we will."

"_I know," she sighed. _

"I'll talk to you soon."

…..

Megan issued instructions on their course and speed and the sailor at the helm repeated them back to her, then she wandered across to Dutchy and stood at his shoulder.

"There's nothing yet X, we're still too far away to pick anything up and the storm isn't helping," he informed her, his eyes darting between the radar display and the EOD.

"Hopefully we'll be through the storm soon, and we'll be able to make better speed," she answered.

"X, the boss is ready for you and Dutchy now," RO announced before beginning another attempt to contact the steaming party.

"Thanks Robert, Charge you have the ship."

"I have the ship X." Charge echoed as Megan tapped Dutchy on the shoulder drawing his attention away from the displays in front of him. She had noticed he'd barely looked anywhere else since they'd taken up their position after arriving on the bridge.

"Come on, let's go," she encouraged.

They trudged down to the CO's cabin, but before knocking on the door she turned to him thinking of challenging him about speaking to Elena, but when it came to it, she couldn't, she was in the same morose state because she hadn't really spoken to her either. She knew the team were resourceful and half expected to hear from them at any time, but it didn't make the waiting any easier. In a lot of ways it was like last time when Elena was CO of Hammersley and they'd been lost in the storm, she wondered how many times that could happen to one person without serious consequences.

The click of Kate's cabin door opening and her crisp order for them to enter broke Megan from her thoughts and they entered silently.

"I know you've both got unresolved issues with Lt-Cdr Larkin but you cannot let those feelings interfere with our operations here. I need you both focused and in control, if you have any doubts that you are capable of doing your jobs I need to know now." Megan appreciated that Kate had to take a firm line and call them on their relationship issues, but she could also tell that behind the CO's firm gaze was something else, which unbidden Kate also revealed, "we are all equally worried for Swain and 2-dads, we are not leaving anyone unaccounted for, I need you to pull your weight and when we find them I suggest that you deal with whatever is going on."

"Yes, Ma'am," Megan answered.

"That will be all X, take the bridge and keep us on track I want a brief word with Dutchy then we'll be along." Megan nodded then glanced sideways at the ship's Bosun before leaving.

She returned to the bridge, wondering what was going to be said now in the CO's cabin.

….

"Captain has the ship," Kate announced arriving back on the bridge a few minutes later, Dutchy trailing in her wake. He silently headed towards the helm and took over from the sailor who had been keeping the ship on course for over an hour.

"Sit-Rep RO," Kate commanded glancing around the silent bridge. It was a completely different place in a crisis, there was no banter or jokes, everyone wore serious expressions and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Ma'am, Darwin are 2 hours and 39 minutes south of the co-ordinates providing they maintain the same course and speed. The storm there is abating so they expect to make good time to the last known co-ordinates. Radio hails are still unanswered and Coast watch are unable to get an over flight until sunrise, which is not for another 4 hours and 17 minutes," he reeled off like he had memorised every detail. Which knowing RO, he probably had.

"Thank you." She turned to address the assembled crew, "I have spoken to NAVCOM, Darwin are indeed closer to the trawler and have been tasked with making first contact. We will continue to the area to render any other assistance that may be required. Thankfully there was no cargo aboard, but there will still be enough residual pollutants to be a threat to the local ecology if anything has happened to the ship. Until the picture is clearer and we have definite news of our sailors a communications lock-down is in effect on the orders of NAVCOM. Until we arrive in the search area non-essential personnel will stand down and a regular watch will be maintained with help from RO's assistant to maintain attempts to call the team."

Kate looked around the group around her, she felt just as bad as they did, it wasn't the first time they had faced this; missing sailors on Hammersley seemed to happen about once a year, sometimes more, but this was at least the third time Swain had been lost at sea and the second time for 2-Dads, there had been other times when contact had been lost during a mission, but then the others at least had an idea where they were. Bringing her focus back to the sailors she wished there was something more she could say. "We haven't failed yet to find any one and we will not fail this time." She wasn't sure how reassuring she was, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

"Of course we will Ma'am," Charge confirmed, his voice conveying his own concerns, however she was grateful for his quiet attempt to offer her some reassurance.

….

Hammersley were still 2 hours away from the last known contact with the trawler, HMAS Darwin had taken over responsibility for radio calls to give Robert a break so the Bridge was quiet, everyone almost holding their breath as each call echoed via their own radio. The storm was finally showing signs of passing making navigation easier.

Dutchy was still at the helm and Megan was in the command chair, allowing Kate to also take a break. Charge had just returned to the bridge, and cast his eye over the radar. "X, contact at 355 about 15 miles," he announced looking over at her.

She shook her head and looked at him, "sorry Charge did you say something?"

"I think you should take a look Ma'am," he encouraged gently. "We have a contact."

Megan pushed herself out of the chair and joined him at the console, the movement enough to stir Dutchy's motionless form and he looked over. "Is it them?"

Charge watched on as Megan checked the radar, "can we get it on EOD?"

"Still too far off X, I'll keep trying," he answered as he tracked the direction of the unknown vessel on the display.

"I don't know, there's no transponder signal, it could be anyone,"

He watched her carefully for a minute to see if she would spot the other thing he had noticed on looking at the radar. The way she frowned suddenly and rubbed her eyes indicated that she had finally picked up on his lead.

"Dutchy, come port 10 degrees."

He glanced at the displays in front of him and grunted. "Port 10 degrees X."

"X, why don't the two of you take a break, you've not moved for the last 2 hours, take a break now and you'll be more refreshed when we arrive at the rendezvous with Darwin." He kept his voice quiet and tried to sound encouraging without giving orders, which was not his place.

"Maybe you're right, Dutchy, let's get a brew," she conceded.

"I'm fine X, I'd rather stay up here," he answered despondently.

"It wasn't a suggestion," she replied in a firmer tone. "Charge you have the ship."

"I have the ship Ma'am; I'll call you if we have anything."

"Get RO to check out that contact, see if we can't ascertain who they are, let me know what happens."

"Will do." Dutchy reluctantly handed over the helm to another sailor and moved to the stairs, Charge looked at them both, "you're doing the right thing."

…..

Darwin arrived at the location of the last contact but still failed to detect the trawler, their XO was on the Bridge with several sailors on look out.

"X, permission to post a watch detail on deck now the storm's receding," Buffer asked, raising his binoculars again to survey the surrounding water.

"Fly bridge only for now, two forward, two aft. We'll make a pass over the area, slow to 500." The helmsman acknowledged the order while Buffer quickly indicated who he wanted out on the deck.

"Aye, Sir," he acknowledged, moving towards the door himself as Spider raced up the stairs.

"Have we found them Buff?" he asked anxiously.

"Not yet Spider, get yourself some binos and you can help look," he answered

A moment later a 4 man watch was established, keeping a sweeping look out around the ship.

The sweep over the last known co-ordinates failed to locate anything, so Buffer headed back inside and approached the XO.

"Sir, it's pretty dark out there, we could widen the search area if we deploy the RHIBs too. We used it once or twice on Hammersley to good effect."

"Good idea, the CO's on his way, go prepare and I will clear it with Commander Wilson. Two RHIBs, we'd better keep the others back for now in case we have to move in a hurry if something turns up."

"Right Sir, thank you."

…..

Another half an hour passed as Megan and Dutchy sat in silence in the senior sailors mess with mugs of coffee. They were both lost in their own thoughts.

"Darwin should be there now," he stated to no one in particular as he checked his watch, drawing Megan from her trance-like state.

"They'll tell us as soon as there's any news," she replied and they went back to their silent contemplation while their cups of coffee went untouched.

…..

The Darwin RHIBs had been in the water for some time as the ship made another pass over the area and then continued along the course the trawler should have been following.

"Something in the water! Green 45, near!" a sailor at the front of Buffer's RHIB called and the searchlight was turned to pick up the object as the RHIB approached.

"Keep the light on it," Buffer instructed, as he positioned himself to move to assist any recovery.

Pulling alongside, several hands reached into the water and pulled out the object, which after inspection they let go over the edge again.

"Bravo to Delta," Buffer announced into his radio.

"Go ahead Bravo."

"We have signs of debris, we're unable to identify the origin, it could be just flotsam. To be sure we're going to make wider sweep of this area."

"Roger, Bravo."

"Keep your eyes peeled, report anything you see," Buffer ordered the crew.

…..

Back on Hammersley Megan and Dutchy were still sitting in silence. "Can I say something?" she asked looking at him across the table.

"Go ahead, I probably deserve it," he mumbled after considering it for a moment.

"Did you listen to anything I said last night?" she asked.

"X?" he asked sounding confused.

"Elena, did you go and talk to her last night?"

"I blew it X," he answered despondently. "Now I may never get to make things right."

"Yellow Asiatic Lillies."

"What?" he asked looking up a frown crossing his face.

"Her favourite flowers," Megan added. "I just wish that option would work as well for me."

"_Dutchy and XO to the Bridge" _the tannoy ordered, breaking into the quiet conversation. Without a word they both hurried from the room.

Arriving on the bridge together Kate looked at them then at RO, "ask them to repeat their last transmission."

"Darwin, this is Hammersley, please repeat your last transmission."

"Roger Hammersley, repeat we have located debris, RHIBs are in the water and have confirmed the trawler appears to have sunk, there is a large amount of surface debris, which they are picking through at the moment. Hold-" the transmission suddenly cut off leaving the crew of the Hammersley looking at each other in shock.

After what must have been only about 20 seconds, but seemed like an eternity the Darwin communications officer returned.

"Sorry Hammersley, I can't give you much more right now, but I can confirm Buffer has located what appears to be a body in the water."

* * *

_I know I'm mean leaving you another cliff hanger ... and there are still a few more up my sleeve ... you know what to do...  
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	40. Search and ?

_Thanks to kazzyj, SeaPatrol12 and wickeduk. Hope you all enjoy this, it starts shortly after the previous one ended._

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**Part 40 - Search …. and ..**

Spider and a couple of the sailors reached over the side of the RHIB and took the waiting hands of the person in the water and hauled them aboard.

"Swain!" Spider exclaimed as he recognised the man they had just rescued. Buffer immediately stepped forward.

Swain looked around at the faces above him, then half smiled as he focused on some that were familiar. "Good to see you guys," he wheezed, his teeth chattering from the cold water. It didn't matter what time of year it was, the water around here was always cold, especially when you'd been in it for a while.

"We got you mate, we'll get you back to the ship and checked over, there are a lot of people praying for you right now," Buffer reassured him.

"I'm fine … you find 2-Dads or Elena?" he asked, wiping the water from his face as he regained his bearings and began to sit up and taken notice around him. No one commented on his apparent familiarity with the missing Lt-Cdr. Under the circumstances it proved they were human.

Buffer crouched at his side, "nah mate, you're first. Can you tell me what happened?"

"The lights went out, a short while after there was an explosion from the engine room and smoke filled the ship." He started wheezing more and then coughing.

Buffer rested a hand on his shoulder, "relax mate, we'll find them." Issuing instructions to the other RHIB they turned and headed back to Darwin.

….

Except for essential instructions the Hammersley crew on the Bridge waited in silence.

"This is Darwin to Hammersley," the voice on the radio sounded. "I have some good news; Buffer has picked up your Swain. He's conscious. We'll know more when the doc has checked him over." An audible sigh of relief rippled around the assembled crew.

"Roger that, thank you," Kate answered, a slight waver in her voice. "Is there any word on our other people?"

"Not yet, Ma'am, the crew are still out looking for them. We'll let you know as soon as we have anything else."

Kate stood rooted to the spot for a moment the radio transmitter still in her hand. Finally she took a deep breath and turned to Megan. "X, how long to the rendezvous?"

"Still 2 hours away," Megan answered slowly, as she followed the map line she had plotted earlier.

"Add any information we get from Darwin about the search area and currents, I'm going to speak to NAVCOM," Kate instructed as she prepared to leave the bridge. "RO can you contact Commander Flynn and put it through to my cabin."

"Yes Ma'am."

"X you have the ship."

Kate didn't hear any reply as she trudged down the stairs, thankful that her cabin was close to the bridge and she wouldn't have to face the rest of the crew. She closed the door and sat in the chair next to the tiny desk, her eyes drawn to several pictures on the wall, there were several of previous crews, including one with Buffer and Spider, but the one that held her attention was the news article about the last explosion they had been involved with and her emotions from that day all came rushing back. Things had changed in the last few years and the patrol boats were increasingly involved in riskier tasks against ever bigger threats, it wasn't just FFVs and SIEVs anymore and she wondered how much longer she could cope with the thought of losing more crew members to the dangers.

The phone rang drawing her back to the task at hand and she reached with a shaking hand to lift if off the wall.

"Kate?" she couldn't help a small smile at the reassurance his voice gave her.

"They said he was alive," she sighed.

"Who said who was?"

"Darwin, Swain's alive although I'm not sure of his condition at the moment, they did say he was conscious."

"I know; I just talked to Commander Wilson. How are you holding up?"

"I'm not sure I can do this anymore, I've never been good at sitting on the side-lines watching the action, I have a new appreciation for your desire to lead the odd boarding Sir."

"We'll talk when you get home, but don't make any rash decisions; you know that whatever you decide I'll support you."

"Thank you."

"Kate, you can bring the ship in, I'll be waiting for you."

"I know."

They chatted for a few more minutes about other business before Kate hung up and cast her eyes once again over the new article pinned over her desk. Photos of Swain and Jim forming bookends to the article explaining their efforts in stopping the bomb destined for the Naval Base 6 months earlier. A bomb that had exploded, despite valiant attempts to prevent it and resulting in the death of one man and severe injuries to another. It had been a long 6 months, Swain had endured broken bones and burns and it was truly a miracle he had survived at all. Now he was fully fit again, but events like today had to take a further toll on a crew that were only just returning to the spirit she had known before.

…..

Buffer's RHIB was soon back in the water resuming the search as dawn broke over the area and the extent of the debris field began to emerge from the dark.

"We've still got 2 sailors out here, they've been in the water about 3 hours, keep your eyes peeled. We are not leaving until we find them. They'll be showing signs of hypothermia and likely to have other injuries, they may be unconscious, so check every piece of debris."

"Roger Buff," Spider acknowledged raising a pair of binoculars to his eyes as the RHIB eased slowly through the water allowing them to sift through the wreckage.

The next few minutes passed in silence as everyone concentrated on the task at hand. Buffer split his attention between the RHIB crew, the debris field and their position in relation to the other boat still out searching.

"_Echo to Delta,"_ the voice of the lead seaman on the other RHIB broke the still morning air, _"we've spotted a submerged section of the hull which seems to be intact, request divers on scene to sweep the area. We've seen air bubbles, so it's likely there are trapped air pockets."_

"_Roger that Echo, we'll deploy another RHIB with divers to your location, set a marker buoy and continue your search."_

"Buff, do you think anyone's still alive if they're trapped down there?" Spider asked, lowering his binoculars for a moment and looking at his crew mate.

"Anything's possible Spider, but until we know for sure we keep look-out on the surface."

The younger sailor raised the binoculars again, he barely had time to focus through them before he called out, "I got something, Green 45 about 200 yards, looks like it could be someone in a life jacket!"

Buffer followed the direction called with his own binoculars raised to his eyes and quickly scanned the water; satisfied with the sighting he directed the RHIB driver to head that direction, "good work Spider."

…..

Back on the Hammersley Bridge Megan and Dutchy were both sat in front of the EOD constantly manipulating the focus in order to home in on the search area at the first available opportunity.

"_Hammersley, this is Darwin, I have someone here to speak to your CO."_

"Lt-Cdr McGregor here, go ahead," Kate responded, her hand tightly gripping the transmitter.

"Ma'am, Commander Wilson thought you would want to hear directly from me." Swain's voice echoed round the bridge and earnt a brief cheer from the gathered crew. "I'm assuming I'm on speaker and I need to keep this short to leave the line clear for the rescue crews."

"Swain, it's good to hear from you. Can you tell us what happened?"

"Not much, there was an electrical short during the storm that left us dark, Lt Cdr Larkin and 2-Dads went to investigate, then there was an explosion in the engine room, smoke filled the ship, the helm failed to respond, I was going to check on the others when a second explosion ripped the ship apart and I was thrown into the water."

"Are you alright?"

"A little cold and a few bruises, but otherwise I'm fine. Ma'am, they've located the central section of the ship, it's fairly intact, sitting about 20 metres down and divers are searching the identified air pockets now. … Ma'am, I need to clear the channel, I'll see you soon."

"We'll be there in about an hour," Kate acknowledged quietly.

….

Swain handed the radio back to the Darwin RO then turned to watch out of the window as the crews continued to search for his ship mates.

"_Bravo to Darwin, we have 2-Dads, bringing him in now, he's pretty banged up, but he's alive."_

Swain sighed heavily, his eyes sweeping over the area again, catching sight of the RHIB powering back towards the ship. He moved to head to the boat deck to assist the medical team, but a hand on his shoulder made him turn to the ship's Captain.

"Commander Wilson?"

"I have a first rate medical team, I know you want to be down there and help, but let them do this. We have a helicopter en route to medevac him out, along with Lt-Cdr Larkin when we find her. I promise we'll keep you informed and let you see them as soon as we can."

"Thank you," Swain was hardly able to speak now, the worry for 2-Dads and the niggling sensation that Elena was in serious trouble, the only thing buzzing in his head.

"Head down to the Seniors Mess and have Chefo get you some breakfast."

Swain nodded slightly and turned again to let his eyes scan the search area before being talked off the bridge.

…..

Elena wasn't sure if the pounding was in her head or somewhere outside, maybe it was both. It wasn't helped by the constant need to cough from inhaling sea water when she last passed out. The flashlight had long ago given up any hint of light, not that it would have helped her. She knew she was trapped in a sealed room within the ship, and judging by the water seeping in she figured the ship was sinking, it had now risen several feet and it wouldn't be long before she would have to try and find something to support herself off the floor. A couple of large crates offered her only option, but shivering with cold and the light-headedness she couldn't focus long enough to climb on them, her only option was to wait it out and hope to use the water to help herself.

The pounding seemed to be getting worse, except for one thing; it had some rhythm to it, unlike the constant throb she had been bombarded with every time she came round. She reached around herself, trying not to move too much and aggravate any injury she may have; her fingers finally located the previously useless flashlight, she could feel herself drifting again. She tried to take a few deep breaths, but it was getting harder, but she never registered the fact that the air supply was dwindling.

_Thump, thump, thump. _

Her throat was sore, she couldn't remember why. The torch slipped from her cold fingers, the movement stirring her briefly and she tried to remember what she was holding.

She patted herself, her fingers brushing the radio transmitter still miraculously clipped to her overalls. At first she didn't recognise it, but the button on the side pressed and she squeezed it a few times. The action must have triggered something, because she raised it to her face and tried again.

"Mayday, mayday, may-" the strain of even whispering into the transmitter had triggered another coughing fit causing her to expel the sea water that had seeped into her lungs and stomach. Her head throbbed even more as a result.

_Thump, thump, thump. _

There it was again, it didn't fit with the pounding in her head. She was shivering violently and her head was spinning, once again the darkness drowned out everything else.

….

"Sir, I've got interference on our frequency," the Darwin RO reported as he tried to trace the signal he thought he'd picked up.

"Can we identify where it's coming from?"

"Not really, but the strength and quality are consistent with our personal radios. But this seems like it might be some distance away, possibly on the edge of our search area.

"Ask all teams to check in then maintain radio silence for 10 minutes while we try and isolate it," Commander Wilson instructed, raising his own binoculars and scanning the search area.

"Aye Sir. This is Darwin to all search teams, request everyone to report their location and then maintain radio silence while we isolate a possible fault in the radio frequency. Emergency contact will be established by flare."

One after the other the crews reported in.

"I have 2 dive teams down; one has reported locating a reasonable sized void. They are preparing to use extreme measures to rule out anyone being trapped. They've received no response to knocking on the bulkhead," the leader of the dive team reported.

"Roger that Dive Master."

"Dixie is there any word on Leading Seaman Kosov-Meyer?" Commander Wilson asked turning to the sailor who had just arrived on the Bridge.

"Nothing definitive yet, he's suffering with hypothermia and most likely a dislocated shoulder, do you want me to find out?"

"Is he conscious?"

"I think so Sir, but probably still a bit disoriented. I could check with the medical team." The young Petty Officer answered.

"No that's fine, I'll go myself, you have the ship. I need some information, I have a theory and if I'm right we may not have much time." He turned and headed down the stairs and towards the medical unit. On entering he stood back while the team were still busy around the patient. "Doctor, is the patient conscious to be able to answer a few questions?"

"He's pretty delirious at the moment Sir, a combination of the hypothermia and morphine. I'd recommend waiting a while before questioning him on what happened," the doctor replied.

"Normally I would defer to your medical judgement, however we still have a missing sailor and we need some guidance on where she was last seen on the ship before the explosion."

"Very well sir. He's been pretty agitated since we picked him up. If you can give us a minute to get him out of his wet clothes and start the rewarming process you may have more success."

The team were already taking the fastest route to treatment by cutting away 2-Dads uniform and covering him with warm towels to dry him off.

"Sir, I'm not sure what this is, but it was tucked in his shirt," one of the medics announced holding out what appeared to be a rolled sheet of paper.

"I'm a dead man, he's gonna kill me!" 2-Dads agitated voice echoed around the room.

Commander Wilson stepped forward and rested a hand on 2-Dads uninjured shoulder. "It's alright son, you're safe now. You're on HMAS Darwin. You're crew-mate Swain is safe too. No one is killing anyone."

"No, I can't find her, he'll kill me." Swain entered the room, having been brought by one of the team to see if could help calm 2-Dads down.

"Who do you think is going to kill you?"

"Dutchy."

…..

_Thump, thump, thump. _

_Thump, thump, thump. _

_Thump, thump, thump. _

Elena stirred again, the slow rhythmic thumping starting to annoy her. She had no idea where she was or what was happening, she wriggled her fingers, the radio transmitter was still in her hand. "Please stop. Too loud," she murmured, scrabbling around her with her other hand and closing it around some sort of heavy object.

It took her a moment to lift it free of the water, but in her weakened state she was unable to hold it up and it dropped back to her side, but not before it had clattered against the bulkhead, sending a hollow thundering around her, making her cry out as it seemed to increase the pressure in her head.

_Thump, thump, thump. _

_Thump, thump, thump. _

She felt so tired, and despite the battle raging in her head, she felt the need to throw something at the noisy neighbours; her fingers closed around the flashlight again and with what little strength she could muster she threw it at the wall, once again crying at the increased pain and noise it caused.

…..

Unable to help further with 2-Dads, Swain wandered back to the bridge as their RO cursed yet again at the erratic disruption to his signals.

"Any more word from Hammersley?" he asked, unaware of the situation with communications.

"Sorry mate, we're trying to isolate a fault, it's been bugging us for the last 10 minutes on and off, it's like someone's playing with a radio, you know keep pressing the transmit button."

"That's all, no voices?"

"Nothing I can make out. Here, maybe another pair of ears will pick up something I can't." He switched it from headphones to speaker as three clicks were heard, followed a few seconds later by another three. A pattern that seemed to repeat itself over and over for several cycles before it went silent. Swain appreciated the communications officer's efforts to keep him busy and couldn't help comparisons had the situation been reversed and they were on Hammersley then Robert would not have so easily shared the problem.

"It's not the right speed, but it could be an attempt at SOS. If the person making the call is in water they'd be severely hypothermic now, the radio may not work for voice traffic, but it might still have enough juice to register an attempt at transmission," said Swain bringing his various levels of experience to the situation.

Dixie had been listening to the exchange, when she saw a flare go up from the location of the main dive team.

"Kenny, get the CO up here at the rush, we've got a flare," she reached for the radio transmitter above her head.

"Dive Master, this is Darwin, what have you got?"

"The boys think there's someone trapped down there, but we've got a problem, whoever it is may be drifting in and out of consciousness, they've detected a couple of noises, enough to be worth checking out, but the door was warped in the explosion, the compartments all around are full of water, we cut through the bulkhead to effect a rescue and the water's going to pour in and without knowing the condition of whoever's inside it could kill them."

"CO's on his way, await further instructions." Dixie instructed.

"Can I try something?" Swain asked gesturing towards the radio transmitter. "If it's the Lt-Cdr I might be able to establish contact."

"We've got nothing to lose," she answered, handing him the transmitter.

"Dive Master, it' Swain from Hammersley, are your team able to tell how much water is already in the compartment?"

"They think a couple of feet, but it's hard to get a precise reading."

"Roger that. Stand by." Swain stepped towards the window and his eyes focused on the surface team over where the divers were. Slowly he pressed the transmission button, "Elena, it's Swain, if you can hear me I need you to help us. We know where you are and we're coming to get you."

He paused for a moment, a few clicks greeted him in return, but there was no real pattern to them.

"Elena, I know you're cold, it won't be long now, but you need to listen to me. I need you to talk to me, you're pressing the transmitter, just hold it down and put it near your mouth while you talk."

He waited several agonising seconds, this time they got a little more than clicks; they got more of a rustling sound.

"That's it ma'am, you're getting there. I need you to try again,"

More clicking and rustling was this time followed by a faint, croaking sound, "S-S-Swai- …. C-c-c-ol … head,"

"What's that? Coal Head?" Dixie asked.

"No, she's cold, I think she's also got a head injury," he answered with a frown.

"You can tell all that from three words?" Dixie asked amazed.

"I've learnt a lot of things over the years. She's in a bad way, but she's been able to communicate the-"

"S-S-Swain?"

"Yeah I'm here Elena."

"C-c-can't b-breathe," she croaked again, this time Swain heard the coughing fit and vomiting.

"Alright, I'm not going anywhere. I just need to talk to some people." He turned to Dixie and the Commander who had arrived only seconds before.

"Sir, I don't know how you do it, but she needs to be out of there now, she's hypothermic, probably concussed and either has no air or broken ribs. If we don't get to her very soon she's going to pass out and possibly drown in the water already inside the compartment."

"And if she doesn't know what's coming she could drown anyway when they break through the bulkhead."

* * *

_I did warn you there were still a few cliffhangers out there. You know what to do next._


	41. Rescue

_In response to the fast reviews from kazzyj, SeaPatrol12 and wickeduk here is the next instalment._

_So Swain and 2-Dads have been picked up, Elena located and Hammersley are still on their way …._

**.**

**Part 41 - … Rescue?**

A further tense conversation ensued aboard HMAS Darwin resulting in a hurried call to NAVCOM and then a further call to Kate on Hammersley.

"XO to the CO's cabin at the rush." Kate's voice was firm as she summoned the young woman.

Megan glanced at Dutchy and hurried towards Kate's cabin. With only a slight hesitation she rapped her knuckles on the door.

"Come in, take a seat Megan."

"Ma'am?" she queried, her stomach fluttering at the familiarity of the CO using her first name, but she still took the offered chair.

"There's been a development; Lt-Cdr Larkin has been located." Kate's voice had the initial tone of a CO in control, but Megan's smile of relief was short lived when she realised that Kate wasn't finished and seemed fairly upset.

"And 2-Dads?"

"He'll be fine after medical treatment. He was picked up a while ago." Kate hesitated again, wondering who was going to be more upset by the information she was about to impart, the young woman with the responsibility she was about to place on her or the man upstairs on the Bridge who was oblivious to the conversation she was about to have.

"Something's wrong, please Ma'am just tell me, then I can deal with it." Megan kept her eyes trained on Kate's face, noting the other woman seemed to be having difficulty meeting her gaze. Megan's stomach churned, she was waiting for her to continue, but the longer she delayed, the worse the news Megan expected. "She's-" Despite her desire to know the truth she was dreading hearing the actual words, at the same time she was unable to voice the thought herself.

"No, she's alive, but the news isn't good." Kate used Megan's wavering thought to spur her to give her the information. "She's in a section of the ship located about 20 metres down, at the moment she is trapped in a sealed room, she's injured and running out of air. Swain has spoken to her, but we're not sure how much she's taken in."

Megan rubbed her face with her hands and then wrapped one hand around her stomach, while keeping the other over her mouth. The churning sensation showed no signs of abating. After a moment she swallowed hard and removed the hand from her mouth. "Are they going to be able to get her out?"

"Until anyone can see her we don't know the extent of her injuries, but from the few words she's had with Swain, she's showing signs of a head injury, hypothermia and possibly broken ribs that could have punctured a lung. The other possibility is that the air supply is running out, water is seeping in, whatever happens she doesn't have long."

Megan had been staring at the floor for the last few minutes, but she looked up, "you said the room was airtight, if that's the case water wouldn't be getting in."

"I'm sorry Megan, I don't know the details, we can question it afterwards, but right now as one of her listed next of kin we need you to make a decision. RO will connect you with the CO of Darwin for them to explain their plan."

Megan nodded. "Ma'am, what are you going to say to the crew?"

"What would you like me to tell them?"

"… Nothing, I don't want them distracted further from the task."

"and Dutchy?" Megan knew what Kate was asking, but right now she thought any further bad news would affect him far worse than he could handle and she didn't want him blaming himself later if things went wrong.

"Especially not him. Ma'am, until this is over would you- can I- I don't think-" Megan stuttered, not sure what she was trying to ask.

Kate nodded as she stood up, "you can stay here as long as I can spare you."

"Thank you Ma'am."

…..

Dutchy looked up when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He was surprised to see Kate arrive alone and she obviously saw his puzzled expression as she turned to him. "Dutchy how far are we from the scene?"

He glanced at the displays again, "about an hour." He could tell that everything was taking its toll on Kate as well as the rest of the crew. "Ma'am, where's the X?"

"Arranging some logistics with NAVCOM." Kate answered quickly then turned to the man at the marine link console, "Charge, can we get any more from the engines?"

"We've already got her running flat out Ma'am," Charge answered sadly, but Dutchy caught the look that crossed his face. "But I'll see what I can do; I'll be in the engine room."

As Charge left the Bridge Dutchy stood and looked out of the window as if doing that would have them arrive any quicker. As far as he was aware there were still two sailors missing and the sudden disappearance of Megan didn't sit well with him. He got the sense that something was going on and he was being kept out of the loop.

"Dutchy!" Kate's firm tone quickly drew his attention and the look she gave him when he turned to her suggested she had been trying to gain his attention for a few minutes.

"Sorry Ma'am, you have the ship, permission to leave the bridge?"

"5 minutes, take a breather I need you back here with your head in gear when we arrive and do not disturb the X."

"Yes Boss," he answered quickly already heading down the stairs, having no intention of leaving Megan alone with possible information about Elena.

He headed straight for Elena's cabin and knocked, but there was no answer from Megan and glancing up and down the corridor he opened the door and found it empty which surprised him a little. After that he proceeded to search the remaining public areas of the ship without success. Thinking she may have returned to the bridge he headed out on deck and tried to calm his whirling thoughts.

Leaning on the rail stared at the sea below them being churned up by the propellers. It made his stomach feel like it was churning just as bad. He didn't have a good feeling about the trawler, 2-Dads and Elena were both still missing and he felt so useless. He hated sitting on the side-lines watching from a distance. He was angry that they had been called to a mayday and were so far behind the trawler when the incident occurred. He wanted to take the person responsible and make them pay for the situation they were in, but at the same time he had no energy to do anything, it was a strange sensation and one that he was unfamiliar with.

…..

Swain handed the phone back to Darwin's RO and stood with his hands on his hips staring out of the window for a moment.

"Chris?" the concerned voice of the Darwin CO accompanied the hand that came to rest on his shoulder. "We need an answer."

He stared for a few more seconds at the group of divers, then turned to the Commander and rubbed his hand across his face. "Go ahead."

Tug Wilson inclined his head a fraction then took the transmitter that the RO held out. "Delta Mike, we have approval, proceed as discussed. The medevac helo will be with us in 15 minutes to effect an immediate air lift to the base hospital in Cairns, there is a doctor already on board. They're advising immediate airlift from your location. Our doctor is joining you now should the team surface before the evac gets here."

"Delta Mike, thank you Boss, we'll be waiting."

The line went silent as Swain turned his focus back towards the assembled group over the sunken wreckage.

…..

Megan sat at Kate's desk her head in her hands as she waited for news.

She couldn't get her head around the fact that the friend who was so happy 3 weeks ago when they had dinner was currently waiting to be rescued from a watery grave and that there was nothing she or anyone else on Hammersley could do to help. She had the feeling that Kate expected her to want Dutchy informed, but she wasn't about to add to the guilt she already suspected he carried from his reaction to her role in taking down the Russian Trawler in the first place.

…..

Charge issued instructions to squeeze any remaining juice from the engines to give them more power, he was prepared to do whatever it took to speed their arrival so that they could help in the search and rescue of their colleagues and friends.

Kate had not said anything to the crew after her last conversation with NAVCOM, it could only mean bad news. He hoped 2-Dads was having another lucky day and that he would be picked up soon.

…..

Kate stepped out on the fly deck and took a few deep breaths. Her resolve was beginning to shatter and she wondered how long she could keep Dutchy at bay. She understood Megan's reasons, but from the look of his stiff immobile stance as he leant against the boat deck railing below her, he was a coiled snake ready to strike if anyone tried to fob him off with meaningless answers. He was too astute for her attempts at keeping him out of the loop; he would know something was happening and if he were to ask her directly she wouldn't be able to lie to him. Their friendship was too important to her to deliberately put obstacles in the way. She also knew he would welcome the truth even if he would feel guilty for not being there to take care of her.

She felt a shift in the vibrations of the ship beneath her feet and she knew somehow Charge and his team had worked the impossible. She just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

…..

2-Dads opened his eyes, he was still shivering, but at least he felt a little warmer, huddled under the blankets. Turning his head he saw the back of a sailor and made an attempt at hello and to sit up, but he wasn't very successful with either, at least at first. His vague attempts at communication however elicited a response from the medic who turned around.

"Hey mate, glad you're back with us. You kept us pretty amused for a while."

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around.

"HMAS Darwin, what do you remember about the last 24 hours?"

2-Dads coughed a little and blinked against the light in the room, the memories coming back to him as he was able to focus a little more clearly. "Steaming party, … where are the others?"

"Take it easy, your ship's coxswain is fine he's on the Bridge with the CO," the medic tried to reassure 2-Dads.

"What about Sky?" the Hammersley sailor asked, finally succeeding in pushing himself up, but almost regretting the action as his head throbbed. He pulled his knees up and rested one of his arms across them, looking down at the one resting in a sling.

"Who's Sky?"

"Lt-Cdr Larkin, you have found her haven't you?" 2-Dads glared at the sailor in the room with him and wondered what he was missing.

"Yeah, the boys have found her." The answer was non-committal and 2-Dads was beginning to get the impression the medic had been told not to discuss it with him, well if that was the case he needed to go and find out for himself. He twisted and sat on the medical table, his feet hanging over the edge, his right shoulder throbbed heavily and he remembered colliding with the door of the bulkhead after it slammed following the first explosion. Then everything seemed to hit him at once, as he remembered the pain radiating from his dislocated shoulder.

"You're not bullshitting me are you? They have found her?" he demanded.

"They've found her, it's just proving a little difficult to get to her at the moment, but they're working on it," the medic conceded finally.

"You think I can get some clothes, I need to see Swain and find out what's going on," 2-Dads grunted, feeling like he had been in a fight and coming off worst.

"Sorry mate, you need to stay here until the doc clears you." The medic seemed uncomfortable at trying to force him to stay.

"Then call the doc and get me out of here."

"No can do, Doc's out with the rescue team."

"Then get me some clothes, it's not as if I can go far, I'll be with Swain, he's patched me up loads of times. I'll be in good hands."

The medic laughed. "For now maybe, what happens when Hammersley arrives?"

"What?" 2-Dads looked at him confused as he was cautiously offered a pair of overalls and a t-shirt.

"It's what you said when you were brought in, something about being a dead man."

"It's nothing mate, I must've been dreaming, I've got no problem with anyone on Hammersley."

"Even Dutchy?"

2-Dads felt the colour drain from his face as the image of the ship's buffer loomed before him. "Nah, him and me are like this," he crossed his fingers. "We've got no issues."

"Even looking after the girl?" The medic seemed desperate to push the point, "he ask you to keep an eye on her?"

"Sort of, but I would have anyway. Now, how about a little privacy so I can get dressed and then get the full story from Swain."

….

Elena rested her head back against the crate, the throbbing had stopped a while ago and she didn't even feel herself shivering any more.

"Elena? Talk to me," the voice floated around her, it seemed familiar but she could no longer picture who it belonged to. "Elena I need you to listen, I know you're tired, but you have to stay awake a bit longer, if you can't talk, press your radio."

She wondered what the voice was trying to say, she only made out the odd word. Radio, yes she had one of those, but she couldn't remember where it was. She lifted her hand out of the water, her fingers had long since lost any feeling, so she didn't even detect what she had in her hand, or that she was trying to squeeze the button on the side.

l

"That's it, that's good. We've got divers working on getting you out. Someone will be with you soon. Hammersley are nearly here, there will be some people desperate to have you talk to them." The voice was incredibly soothing, regardless of what it was saying. The word Hammersley seemed to have an impact and she suddenly felt her chest tighten and her heart pound.

It must have been enough to prompt a surge of adrenalin and she coughed and wheezed. For a moment she seemed to be able to raise her hand and eventually wrap it around the one with the radio to steady it in front of her face, not that she could see where it was. "N-No, mustn't – mustn't tell them," she croaked.

"Elena, listen I need you to do something, do you think you can try?"

"Stuck, can't … get .. out," she whispered, the surge of adrenalin fading fast.

…..

Swain looked at the CO, "she's barely coherent, I doubt she understands more than a couple of things I've said. I'm surprised she's still conscious to be honest. If they're going in, they need to go now."

"We've just had word that they've found a small hole below the waterline, there's a team digging a trench to give them enough room to get someone in to her. We may be able to exploit that to get her out, if not they're going to have to cut her out, but it will further reduce her oxygen supply so if we can get air to her it should help."

…..

Megan paced up and down the CO's cabin. She wasn't sure how long she had been alone waiting for news from the other ship already on scene. Unable to remain in the confined space any longer she pulled open the door and stepped into the corridor. Perhaps tea would help to settle her frayed emotions, although she knew it would take a lot more before she felt even the remotest bit okay. She hoped Dutchy was still on the bridge, of all the crew he was the one she really didn't want to run into.

She made it to the galley without anyone seeing her, and stepped inside. Bird looked up from serving breakfast as she helped herself to coffee.

"Morning Ma'am, can I get you some breakfast?"

"No thanks Bird, just the coffee is fine." Megan kept her focus on the coffee pot, hoping that no one would ask about Elena or that Dutchy would find her. Her thoughts about tea vanishing when she realised it would take longer and she'd have to make small talk with the crew.

"Is there any more news from HMAS Darwin? Have they found 2-Dads or the Lt-Cdr?" Bird asked innocently.

Megan stalled as she moved the pot to pour her coffee, resting it back down again she answered without looking at the younger woman, "2-Dads is fine, he was picked up a little while ago." Unable to stand any further questions and feeling like she was suffocating she turned and left the galley, heading to the boat deck to get some air.

Kate was still on the fly-bridge and saw the movement as Megan emerged. The look that Dutchy gave the ship's XO caused Kate to hurry inside and pick up the intercom transmitter. "Dutchy to the Bridge."

…..

The divers had managed to burrow under the side of the sunken wreckage allowing enough space for a diver to squeeze through, albeit without an air tank. They had planned for him to haul it through after.

He emerged into the confined space, forcing debris out of his path as he surfaced into the air pocket. The first thing he noticed when he took a breath was the stale air, but before hauling in the oxygen tank he needed to find the Lt-Cdr. He held up the flashlight and shone it around as he reached for his radio.

"This is Romeo, I'm inside, checking it out now. Stand by."

He moved a few more small boxes then a slight noise caught his attention and he turned around to find Elena propped up against 2 large crates, he stepped towards her and crouched down. She never reacted to his presence, her eyes were closed. From the light he shone on her he could tell she was extremely pale. Removing one of his gloves he pressed his fingers to her neck feeling for a pulse, then let out a breath."

"Ma'am? I'm Charlie, I'm here to get you out, can you hear me?" He watched as her eyes fluttered and she squinted in the light. "Alright Ma'am, I need to know if you're hurt, I need to check you out, but first I'm going to get some oxygen in here."

Charlie stood up and moved towards the break in the floor where he had surfaced, while activating his radio at the same time. "Romeo to Delta Mike, I've located the Lt-Cdr, she's alive, pulse is weak, low respirations, she's barely acknowledged my presence, we need that air tank in here now."

"Roger Romeo, the boys are ready to start cutting when you give the word."

Charlie turned back to Elena and began to check for injuries. It wasn't easy as he had the heavy flashlight tucked under his chin while he gave her a cursory exam. He had been given enough information to know to look for a head injury and the bump on the back of her head seemed to confirm that. What he wasn't prepared for was the sight of red in the water and then on further investigation the gash in her side.

"Aaah," the soft moan caught his attention and he noticed the slight recoil from his touch.

"Sorry Ma'am, you've banged up your side, we'll get you some painkillers when we get you out of here. Can you tell me what happened?"

Elena opened her eyes, still squinting at the light. "2-"

She barely made any sound and he struggled to hear her. "What was that Ma'am?"

He heard rustling behind him and ignored it to keep his focus on Elena, who for the first time was looking at him. For a moment she frowned, then seemed to try and tip her head forward slightly, "2-Dads." Her voice was barely a whisper, but this time enough for him to understand her.

"Your shipmates are fine, we've already picked them up. Just you now Ma'am," he felt the tap on his shoulder as another diver handed him a breathing mask.

"El-ena," she stuttered, her eyes closing again.

"Okay Ma'am, Elena, stay with me, I've got a mask I'm going to put over your face, it will make it easier to breath. You're doing well; we're going to get you out of here."

He quickly secured the mask over her face and turned to his colleague who had followed him. "We're not getting her out that way, he commented."

"They're going to have to cut us out, but the minute they break through the water's going to rise, she won't be able to hold her breath and she needs a doctor now, she's got a gash down her left side and I can't tell how much blood she's lost, she's frozen and oxygen deprived. How long before they can cut through?"

"20 minutes start to finish."

Charlie shook his head. "I don't think she's got that long, I'm surprised she's still with us to be honest."

"We don't have an option, we have to wait for them to cut us out," the other sailor answered gesturing to the divers preparing outside.

"We can't wait, we have to take her out the way we got in. I'll go first, I'll drag her out, you follow and make sure the air tank stays with us."

"You lose the mask and she'll drown."

Charlie glared at his ship mate, "then we'll be extracting a body, Scott we have to move her now. It's the only chance she's got."

"Okay, you're the medic, but if this goes belly up remember it was your call."

"Fine, get on the radio and tell them to try and dig us a bigger hole to get out, if we've got more room to move it will be better."

Scott laughed briefly, "they're already on it mate, Doc's orders, he wants her up top to check her over before they fly her out on the medevac."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Charlie knelt down next to Elena again, "Elena, if you can hear me we're going to move you now, we're getting out, but to do that we have to go underwater and through the wreckage, I'm gonna help you, just don't remove the mask and you'll be fine."

He thought he had a brief almost imperceptible nod from Elena. Then took her hands and half lifted her towards him, as he slid her across the flooded floor. Scott lifted the air tank and moved with them.

* * *

_Okay, so Elena is still alive for now, does she remain that way? _


	42. Caged

_Sorry for keeping you waiting, I've been travelling for work and been off line, so here's the next chapter. Things are moving on and this is a longer chapter, but I couldn't split the last scene._

_.  
_

**Part 42 - Caged**

RO turned to Kate and held out the phone, "Boss, I've got Swain for you with an update from Darwin."

"Tell him we've got them on EOD and we'll be deploying the RHIBs to join them shortly."

"Ma'am, he wants to speak to you now before we arrive," Robert replied giving her a fixed look.

"Very well, I'll take it in my cabin. Where are the XO and Dutchy?"

"The X is still on the boat deck, I think Bird has caged Dutchy in the Senior's mess," Charge answered looking out the window.

"Thank you. Charge I want you to take the ship, I will meet with Commander Wilson, Dutchy and the XO are relieved of duty until further notice and do not leave the ship without my express permission. RO, you Buck and Bird will form the search party."

"Yes Ma'am," Buck and RO answered simultaneously.

Kate headed for the stairs, as Charge took command. Once in her cabin she paused briefly before taking the phone.

"Swain?" She asked hesitantly. After a few minutes conversation she rubbed her temple. "okay Swain, we're heading into the area now, I'll brief Dutchy and the X. Everyone here is looking forward to having you and 2-Dads back on board."

…..

Dutchy was sat at the table in the senior's mess with a half drunk mug of coffee. Bird stood watching him from the doorway.

"Hey, they'll be okay you know."

"No one knows that, Swain and 2-Dads are fine, but-" he stopped. He didn't want to think about her and when that happened it only made him think of her more. The last thing he wanted to do was to listen to Bird trying to give him a pep talk, but at the same time he couldn't turn her away. Usually he was the glass half full type, but several incidents in the last year had shattered his normal optimistic nature.

"You think you stuffed up with the Lt-Cdr and now you're not going to get a chance to make it right?" she asked.

"Something like that," he answered flatly, turning to look at her. "I really stuffed up this time Bird, she told me something and I overreacted; now she's out there somewhere and by the time we get there it could all be too late." He waved his arm vaguely in the direction of the search area.

Bird walked across the room and sat down at the table, Dutchy's eyes followed her. "It won't be too late, the team on Darwin will find her in time," she said to try and reassure him.

"It doesn't matter; she doesn't want to see me."

Bird's shocked gasp echoed around the room, "I'm sure that's not true, I can't believe that the two of you won't sort this out. The first thing you should do when we get home is to go and visit her and take a big bunch of flowers."

"Is that a woman thing? I think this is more serious than a bunch of flowers can fix."

Bird looked at him and earnestly, "the flowers aren't meant to fix it, it's a gesture to show you're thinking about her, once she accepts them then you try and talk." For a moment neither of them said anything, "Dutchy can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer it or anything," her nerve seemed to fail her and he lifted his eyes from the coffee cup.

"What is it Bird?"

"You and the Lt-Cdr- … You've been different since you met her, except for the brunette the other night you haven't looked at another woman, it's clear you have feelings for her."

"I'm that easy to read am I?"

"I don't know what the others think but you're a good person Dutchy and none of this is your fault. We'll find the Lt-Cdr and you and her can make up."

"It is my fault Bird, I didn't stuff up the other night in the bar, it happened after we were back on board. She told me something and I-" his thoughts once again stalled, leaving him wondering why this one woman was having such an effect on him.

Bird gave him a wry smile and finished his sentence for him, "and you jumped to conclusions, with everything else that's happened it will be the last thing on her mind, she'll just be really pleased to see you."

"But this is my fault; if we hadn't argued then it would have been me on that steaming party instead of Swain."

"Dutchy you can't think like that, you can't blame yourself because you weren't there to save her, they'll find her and she'll be fine. You've got nothing to feel guilty about." He was touched by Bird's youthful optimism and simplistic way of looking at things, despite what she had seen during the last 2 years in the Navy. "And what's more I think the Lt-Cdr will tell you so herself when you see her."

He let his eyes drift back to the half empty mug still in his hands on the table, only vaguely aware that Bird was once again leaving him to his thoughts.

…..

_He sat down in the empty chair at the bar, next to the brunette identified by 2-Dads. For the first time it felt awkward approaching another woman, he rested his hand on the back of her chair as he faced her. She seemed oblivious to his presence and he hoped he wasn't going to regret what he was about to do._

"_Excuse me, I know this sounds kind of like I'm stalking you, but my mates were playing this stupid game of-"_

_He was surprised when she turned to face him, "truth or dare, and they dared you to come over and ask for my number. I wonder what they would say when you tell them you already had that honour?" The shy giggle that accompanied her words as she glanced at the table behind them seemed to reach deep inside him. _

_He could still feel the insane grin which spread across his face as he looked into her clear blue eyes. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Let's just say working and leave it at that for tonight." She seemed to think better of it after a few seconds and continued," I'm sailing with you tomorrow, so for tonight let's just forget about the non-fraternisation rules and give the crew something to talk about tomorrow."_

"_You know me; I'm always up for some fun." _

_She reached across the bar and took a napkin and with the pen lying nearby she made a big show of writing something down before leaning forward and tucking it in his shirt pocket, at the same time whispering in his ear, "I've missed you." He edged his chair close, partially blocking them from the view of his shipmates, which allowed him to rest his hand on her knee._

"_Why the disguise?"_

"_My new look, what do you think?" _

_He considered it for a moment, "different."_

"XO, Dutchy to the CO's cabin!"

The call from the tannoy broke him from his trip down memory lane, as reality set in and it came rushing back that she was still somewhere out there and he may never look in her eyes again.

…..

Kate paced up and down her cabin, wishing it was larger, but she daren't move from her cabin until she'd delivered the news Swain had just given her. She was glad he had insisted on speaking to her before they arrived, now she was more determined than ever that Dutchy and Megan were to remain on board Hammersley.

She heard their footsteps and summoned them inside as soon as they appeared in the doorway. Quickly closing the door she turned to them.

"I've received an update from Swain regarding Elena. … The dive team have managed to bring her to the surface and the Doctor gave her a cursory examination before she was put on a medevac flight to the base hospital in Cairns. She is alive but unconscious. The full extent of her injuries are still to be determined, but they do know she has a head injury, a laceration to her side from which she has lost blood and the exposure to the water and her injuries have contributed to hypothermia."

Kate paused a moment allowing her crew members to take in the news and was barely able to meet Megan's gaze when she looked up. "But she will be alright won't she?"

"Swain says she's in a bad way and there are no guarantees. I'm sorry."

"What are our plans now Boss?" asked Dutchy, with little emotion in his voice. Kate looked from Megan to him and observed his tight jawline and dull eyes, but in all other ways he appeared like nothing had happened.

"I am going to meet with Commander Wilson to discuss the next steps, it may be that Darwin will continue south and we will stay to await the arrival of specialist equipment to syphon off any residual fuel or oil from the containment tanks which were undamaged in the explosion. Environmental specialists will arrive in a few hours to deal with the surface pollution." Kate answered, sticking to more neutral facts helping her to suppress her own emotions at the situation.

Neither of the other sailors present raised any objections, but she was aware just by looking at them that the relief at Elena's rescue had been further battered by the news that her condition was still not good. "I'd like to give you both some time to deal with this and relieve you of duty; however with Swain and 2-Dads still under doctor's orders I need you on watch. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No Ma'am" Megan answered firmly. "Now that I know where she is I feel better, at least she's being looked after."

"I'd rather be working Boss," Dutchy admitted, appearing to take a lead from Megan.

"Very well, but you will both remain on board." A combination of exhaustion and residual anxiety meant that they were unusually subdued and neither argued with her directive.

…..

They had stayed a few more hours at the scene of the trawler wreck, Swain and 2-Dads had re-joined the crew, along with Spider, once again loaned to them as a helping hand. Now they were steaming for home with all speed, but it would still not arrive until the following morning.

Megan used the next 6 hours to focus purely on work until Kate relieved her of duty and sent her for some sleep sometime after lunch. She didn't expect to sleep much as there had been little news on Elena other than confirmation that she had arrived in Cairns and after scans and patching up she had been placed in a decompression chamber after spending so long underwater. Swain had tried to explain the necessity and from her own experience she should have known the finer points, but she could barely see straight at the time so none of that information seemed to stick. Anyway now she found herself standing in the middle of her cabin wearing her night clothes and couldn't remember why. Bunk, rest, oh yes, sleep. She practically crawled into it even though her mind was still active and began replaying the events of the last 24 hours soon her exhausted body gave way to much needed sleep.

It was the early hours of the next day when she finally woke up and looking at her clock she noticed that it was almost 12 hours later. She hurried into her uniform, scraped a brush through her hair and brushed her teeth, all in record time before rushing to the bridge, where she found Charge and Kate on watch.

"I'm sorry Ma'am; I didn't expect to sleep so long." She felt flustered; she had never slept so long on board before or missed a duty watch.

"Take it easy X, how are you feeling now?" Kate greeted warmly, if sounding a little tired herself.

"Better thank you, is there any news on Lt Cdr Larkin?" She had to know how Elena was and hoped she wasn't about to be told bad news.

"She's had a comfortable night, her temperature is nearly normal, the scan results are all clear for any serious injury and they are hoping that she will regain consciousness shortly." Kate reeled off the latest sitrep.

"Great, can she have visitors when we dock?" Megan babbled, almost unable to contain her relief at the better news she had woken up to, despite fearing the worst.

"After breakfast. They're planning on moving her from decompression in a couple of hours. Once she's in a room then she can have visitors."

"Thank you Boss."

"But we've still got a ship to bring in and a reduced crew, so if you are fit to take over Charge and I need some beauty sleep," Kate pointed out, it was then Megan realised that with Swain and 2-Dads effectively not working and her and Dutchy being kind of out of it with worry over Elena that the brunt of the work would have fallen to the CO and Charge.

"Not sure about you boss, but I need all I can get." Charge joked, sliding out of the helm seat and Megan wasted no time in taking over. "I'll send young Spider up to take over and I'm sure you'd appreciate a brew."

"Yes I would Charge, thank you." She realised that in her rush to report for duty she had failed to get anything to drink and she suddenly felt really dehydrated.

"Alright then X you have the ship." Kate's transfer of command sounded like a relief and when Megan glanced at her she could see the other woman looked tired.

"Aye ma'am, I have the ship."

"Wake me in 2 hours to prepare for docking," Kate instructed and turned to leave.

"Yes Ma'am, just one question, is Dutchy around?"

"In his rack, Swain insisted he took some time out a little while ago. If he doesn't appear before hand he can be woken with the rest of the crew in 2 hours." Kate informed her and this time began descending the stairs.

"Yes ma'am."

Megan settled into the helm seat as she heard the receding footsteps of the other sailors. Her eyes were focused on the horizon for a few minutes then she turned and smiled as the first rays of the sun shone on her as it peaked above the horizon.

It was going to be a good day.

…

Elena was looking at some gossip magazine when the door opened and Megan appeared. She looked over and smiled before closing the magazine and tossing it over her shoulder at the bedside table, but missing and letting it drop to the floor.

"Meg! I'm glad you came," she greeted with a smile.

"Really? I wasn't sure you'd still be talking to me," Megan answered slipping into the room.

"Of course, when did you get in?"

"A couple of hours ago, I brought Swain and 2-Dads over to get some scans done, how are you doing?" Megan dropped Elena's bag onto a chair at the end of the bed then sat on the edge to talk.

"Better, my temperature is normal, the bump on my head is going down and apparently the blood transfusion I got yesterday has done its job. I'm pumped up on antibiotics and painkillers and bored out of my mind."

"You're looking better than I expected."

"How are Swain and 2-Dads? No-one's been able to tell me much." Megan was touched by Elena's concern for the two sailors who had been with her.

"They're fine, Swain wasn't hurt, just some smoke and water inhalation, 2-Dads got off pretty lightly too, dislocated shoulder, some coral scrapes and a nasty gash on his head. You got the rough end of the deal."

"Yeah I think I figured that out, I've got bruises on bruises." Elena held up her arms showing some nasty coloured marks from her elbows to her wrists.

"That bad?" Megan winced, making Elena laugh a little.

"Ow, that hurts," she said resting her hand across her injured side. "You haven't seen the rest."

"So what have the doctors said?" Megan asked glancing out in the corridor as if a doctor might appear at any minute.

"Concussion, hypothermia, and generally battered and bruised. I don't know how I didn't end up worse off."

"In that case, have they said when you're getting out of here?"

"They're doctors, I expect they'll want to keep me for days for observation, after all I've only been awake a few hours. I also expect that I'll need to have someone stay with me for a few days."

The girls continued to talk for a while until Megan couldn't ignore things any more. "Are you going to ask?"

"What?"

"You know, you just don't want to be the first to mention his name."

"He made his decision, I told him about Niko and the ranch, we've even talked about what happened when Mum left, all I know about him outside of what's in his Navy file is that his parents lost a ranch when he was younger and that they're living in Sydney, everything else is gossip and conjecture. He told me that I know nothing about him, it's true, but he won't tell me either." Elena rubbed her head, her rant temporarily over. "I'm sorry Meg, he's just so bloody frustrating."

"Would it help if I told you he's been like a bear with a sore head since you came on board? He got all moody and silent when he heard the ship was missing."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"You should talk to him."

Elena shook her head, "it's not that I don't want to see him, but it's up to him to make the first move, he doesn't trust me and right now I'm guessing he has no intention of coming to see me because he's on a guilt trip about letting Swain go on the steaming party instead of him, because then he would have been able to save me sooner." Megan was about to answer but she was cut off, "no, forget it Meg, you're not playing matchmaker here, you need to leave it alone."

"Alright, I will for now, but once you come home we're going to talk again, right now you're ranting and I'm not sure what you just said made any sense." Elena lay back against the pillows and never responded. "I'll leave you to get some rest, call me when you've seen the doctor; I'll come by later to visit or to take you home."

"Okay. What are you going to do now?"

"I've got to head into NAVCOM, I'm asking for a permanent transfer to Hammersley."

"Why?"

"Why not, they're a good crew, maybe not as good as Kingston, but it has some other advantages, … alright as you're concussed and not thinking straight I'll spell it out. … Razor was waiting for me when we docked, he asked me out."

"About time, you've had a thing for him for months. So where is he taking you?"

"It's a surprise, I need to get home and change for him to pick me up for lunch."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I had to check in on my best friend, didn't I?"

"Maybe but you need to get going. I'll call you later."

A few minutes later Megan was on her way, leaving Elena to rest.

…..

Kate could feel the tension radiating from him the closer she got. Eventually she stopped at the rail beside him and they stood in silence for a moment, then he looked at her. "Checking up on me Boss?"

"Do I need to?" she asked, giving him a curious look.

He shrugged and stared down at the water, "it's been a long patrol."

"I just spoke to Megan, she's been at the hospital, Elena's going to be fine, she's got a concussion and some pretty bad bruises, but she may be home later today."

"That's good," he answered without any real emotion.

There were few times when anything got him down this bad, and it cast her mind back to before they really became friends, when he had been hesitant during a boarding and it resulted in her nearly having her throat cut. She was getting the same defensive vibe from him now, but there was something else, it was like all the fight had gone out of him at the same time. She hoped the friendship they had built up since then would count in her favour as she pressed him for information. "What's going on with you Dutchy? Before she arrived you were on top of the world, I'd never seen you so happy, the last few days you've barely talked to anyone. I know we've not had a lot of reason to smile, but there's been a change in you."

"Are you asking because you need to know as my CO or is there an ulterior motive?" he asked turning his head slightly and fixing her with a puzzled look.

She half smiled, "both, but I hope you still consider me a friend and I want to give you some friendly advice." She paused to try and read his mood.

"Yeah, I don't have such a great record with taking advice and now I've really stuffed things up. I avoided her, I was stubborn and pig-headed and now she doesn't want to talk to me."

"Are you sure of that?" she asked hoping a gentle line of questions would get him to open up and make him see what a mistake it was for him to still be there.

"Before the boarding, … I told her the trial was nothing to do with her, it was the last time we really spoke, she slammed a cabin door in my face, I guess I asked for it."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"There's nothing I can do, I got what I deserved." His answer was defeatist and she knew that it was unlike him to just accept something if he had a point to make.

"Did you? Dutchy, you can't keep this up, it's not good for the crew and it definitely isn't good for you." She expected him to have some angry comment to make, but instead she got the silent treatment again. "If I were to ask you where you want to be in 5 years what would you answer?"

"I've given up thinking about the future X, it never works out how you want." She figured he was now definitely in over his head, he wasn't thinking straight, she hadn't been his XO for nearly 6 months, maybe she could use it to her advantage.

She grinned and bumped her hip against his, "X? You really are in trouble, you haven't called me that in months."

He looked at her like she had grown another head. "I didn't."

Okay it was time for the gloves to come off and do some straight talking, what he chose to do with her advice was up to him, but like he had done before between her and Mike, now it was time for her to return the favour. "Dutchy, you're so wrapped up in whatever's going on in your head, you're not really thinking. You've barely slept for 3 days, go home, get some sleep, go for a run, anything, but get off this boat and tonight go see Elena."

"She made it pretty clear that we should keep away from each other."

"Is that what you want?"

He was quiet for a moment, "it's what she wants."

"You know before I came out here I had a call from Megan. She's been at the hospital, Elena is just as miserable as you are. … You know what I think?"

"No, but I'm guessing you're going to tell me," he gave her a half grin as he looked at her.

"There's only one person she wants to see right now and she can't come to you, so you have to go to her."

"But she said-"

"Why do men have to be so damn stubborn?" she snapped, the friendly approach wasn't having much effect, she needed to give him a jolt and she wasn't going to stand and debate the point either. "She was upset! I can understand you wanting to protect her from everything, but do you think that her hearing it all in court is going to make it better? … It's up to you what you say, but you should at least think about it."

"If it were you, would you want to know?"

"Secrets never get you what you want, it might seem like it for a while, but I can guarantee they never remain secret long and when the truth comes out it makes for a lot of miscommunication and unwarranted anger."

"Like you and the old Boss?"

"If we were honest about things last year then some of the things that happened maybe wouldn't have. A relationship has to be built on trust, it isn't easy but it's worth it to get what you want. … I have to go report to NAVCOM, then I don't know about you but I'm going home for some sleep."

Kate turned and walked away before he could say anything else.

* * *

_I hope you don't mind I didn't put in all of Elena's rescue, but if I had it could have dragged things out for a couple more chapters._

_Please hit the blue button and leave a comment.  
_


	43. Small Talk

_Thanks to wickeduk and kazzyj for the reviews. kazzyj, sorry I couldn't reply to your review directly, but hopefully you'll like the fluff that emerges beginning with this._

_This is a slightly shorter chapter compared to the last few, but it fits to stop where it does. Enjoy._

**Part 43 – Small Talk**

It was afternoon when he arrived on the beach, it was rare at that time of day for it to be so quiet, but it made it easier to run. He had already been running along the path at the top of the cliff and the steps down were steep so he slowed down, jumping the last few to the sand. The cove was quiet as it stretched around towards the marina. A small group of teenagers were splashing in the water, while further on a lone figure sat staring out to sea. He planned on giving both a wide berth as he ran back towards where he had left his bike, but as he passed the youngsters something caught his attention and he turned towards the woman sat hugging her knees, apparently staring out to sea, her gaze lost behind the dark glasses she wore.

Approaching her from the side he was able to watch her for a while, her posture was stiff and she barely moved, her concentration fixed on the water in front of her. She must have heard him as he slowed to a walk nearer to her, he was panting as he stopped at her side causing her to look up at him and shield her eyes from the sun. To make things easier for her he crouched in front of her.

"Hey, how are you?" he hadn't planned on visiting her, but a chance meeting couldn't be ignored.

"Concussion, lots of scrapes and bruises." Her voice carried no emotion, she just delivered the facts, making him look at her more closely but failing to notice any of the injuries she claimed, but that was probably more to do with the long sleeved shirt and skirt wrapped around her legs rather than them not existing.

"Should you be out here all alone?" He looked around expecting to see someone nearby.

"Megan's gone to get tea, it's her way of giving me some space to process everything," she turned and looked over towards the marina.

"How's that going?" Elena shrugged, turning her attention back to the sea, "that good huh?" They were silent for a moment and he wondered whether he should just leave her alone, but he didn't want to go with her in such a fragile looking state.

"You can't decide if you want to stay or go can you?" she asked turning her attention from the sea for a few seconds and for a moment the earlier lost and defeated look appeared to vanish.

"Am I that obvious?" he asked with a slightly shocked look.

She shrugged, "you want me to spell it out?"

"This could be fun," he smiled the tension subsiding for the first time in days and he sat back on the sand and rested his arms on his knees, almost mirroring her stance. For a moment they sat in silence but he couldn't stand the suspense. "So? … Are you going to spell it out?"

"You've been watching me as you ran up the beach; you thought I hadn't noticed until you got here. You may have thought about running straight past, but you probably thought I looked too fragile to be out here alone so your chivalrous streak kicked in and that course of action involves small talk. Finally you crouched, ready to make a quick getaway if you felt the need. But I doubt you'll admit that I'm right." He noted the concentrated expression that settled on her face and he relaxed further as he realised she may not have been as fragile as she first appeared. He hadn't expected her to be so civil with him after their exchanges on the ship, but he was glad they weren't starting out with another argument.

He raised his eyebrows at her, "you see that's where you're wrong. … What would you say if I said it was all true?"

She rubbed her ear and gave a brief smile, "I'm sorry did you just say something?"

"You were right, now it's my turn."

"Your turn for what?" she asked.

"To tell you why you're here."

"Come on then, let's see if you get anywhere close." She had challenged him, showing a little of the spark that had first attracted him to her.

"Alright Cinderella, the only real friend you have in this town is Megan and all she wants to do is talk about you and me and I'm guessing with a concussion, you've been warned off riding or any serious activity, there's not much of a view from the boat deck while we're in port, so this is the next best thing. Nearly getting yourself killed has also made you want space to sort your life out. … how did I do?"

He watched as she pushed her hair off her face and for the first time he caught a glimpse of the bruise which ran down the left side of her face to her neck. His fingers itched to reach out and touch her, to see for himself how bad the bruising really was, but now was not the time. He hadn't intended to go looking for her, but a chance meeting had its benefits. He could tell by her expression that she was debating how to answer, so he decided that he would just allow her the chance to do that.

Eventually, she dropped one of her hands and started drawing patterns in the sand. "You and Meg have been talking about me. She's the only one that knows I use riding as therapy after a bad day and you're right, at sea I find the boat deck soothing, something about being outside I guess." For a moment neither seemed to be able to speak. "You called me Cinderella again."

"Sitting out here, looking lost and abandoned, it reminded me of that night at Iggy's."

"Who said I'm lost or abandoned? I know exactly where I am." While her answer was light-hearted he could imagine that the look in her eyes was anything but, however like his, hers were shielded by her sunglasses.

"Elena-"

"No, don't say anything, right now I can only deal with one thing at a time and that's not talking about us." She stopped him, she seemed to know what he was going to say and he could understand her desire to avoid the stress. It could wait a while, but what was becoming clearer was the fact that he wanted to tell her about the things that weren't in his file.

"Fine, how about if I talk about me?"

"Now you want to tell me about yourself?" she questioned flatly, not dismissing the idea, but still not sounding enthusiastic.

"Yeah, Elena, I've been a prize idiot, and I know I've apologised before-"

"But this time you mean it?" she interrupted, surprising him that she didn't seem angry.

"Yes, no, hell, you know sometimes around you I don't know what I'm saying," he smiled, wondering what to do next. With a lot of women his next step was to put them off guard by kissing them, but he didn't want her off guard, he wanted her to know exactly what he wanted.

"If you don't know what you're saying maybe you should just be quiet, that way you're not going to say something you might regret later." She seemed to be setting a challenge and he wasn't sure if that was a ghost of a smile that crossed her lips.

"Is that what you want? Me to be quiet?" he pressed gently, not wanting to anger her or stress her out.

"Why is it always about what I want? For once I wish you'd tell me what you want." Her response sounded tired and exasperated, it was clear she was fed up with playing games.

"A shower and dinner," he answered with the first things that came into his mind. The first because he was all sweaty from the run, the second because for the first time in days he actually felt hungry and that if he ate he might not actually throw it up again.

"That's random," this time the hint of a smile was clearly there, even if it didn't last.

"Not really, what would be random is heading into town to find a dinner partner when I've got one sitting right here." He didn't stop to think about what to say and immediately regretted it until he noticed the way she tilted her head and smiled at him.

"Is that your attempt to ask me out?"

"Did it work?"

"I haven't eaten a proper meal in 3 days, so anyone that offers me food is going to have that offer accepted."

"So where would you like to go?"

Elena sighed heavily. "I'm afraid the best I can muster is my kitchen and something unappetising from the hospital dietary sheet." He frowned at her and she obviously picked up his confusion, "I'm on a special diet for 48 hours just to make sure I don't make myself sick and it's mistaken for after effects of the concussion and for the same reasons I'm not supposed to go out."

"Fine, so here's what we do, we'll check out this list of yours, I'll go home shower and change and bring back supplies, then I cook for you and we'll have a picnic on the beach."

"That sounds great, but are you sure I'm not taking you away from a night out with the boys?"

"Nah, Swain's at home with Chloe and Sally, Charge is baby-sitting 2-Dads, I think the only ones going out are Bird and Buck and they're a little young for me to hang out with."

Elena laughed a little, "you know that sounds like you think you're really old."

"Not too old for you though, … so if the doctors have banned you from going out aren't you a little far from the officers' quarters?"

Elena pointed to the marina off to their left and he twisted around to look, "I moved out, I've been renting a boat for the last 2 weeks."

"Really?" he was surprised, thinking if she had found a place that it would be more fitting her officer status. Before Elena answered they could see 2 figures approaching them. "Looks like your baby-sitter found a friend."

"Yeah," she sighed tiredly.

"Then maybe I should just head out and leave the job to them, I should have realised you'd have plans."

"So that's it, now there's someone else to look out for me you're just going to take off? I suppose if our paths hadn't happened to cross then you wouldn't have bothered to come and see me either. … So fine just leave, you've obviously made the decision for both of us, don't you think I should have some say in it?" Their light banter forgotten as the cracks appeared in her façade and for the first time since he stopped there was an edge in her voice.

"It's not like that," he answered quickly, remembering something that had occurred between him and Kate when she talked about her break up with Mike the year before, he hadn't agreed with her line of thought and now he realised he had done the same thing. "I wasn't sure you'd want to see me after what happened on Hammersley and I didn't want to-" Elena pushed herself to her feet and began walking towards the Marina. "Elena wait," he stood up and called her when she ignored him he went after her, reaching her as she met up with Megan, who began fussing over her.

"I'm fine Meg. I'm just going to rest for a while," Elena stated before stalking off.

He looked at Megan, who seemed to be fuming, Razor tapped him on the shoulder and indicated they should talk alone. "I'll go see if Elena's alright," Megan started only to have Razor, hold her back briefly.

"Just wait here babe, give her some space. I promise we won't be long." Walking a short distance towards the Marina, Razor glanced at Dutchy, "are you really trying to blow this?"

"It seems I don't even have to try."

"Then get your head out of wherever you've had it stuffed for the last few days and fix it. Meg's a little full on at the moment, I guess it's her way of dealing with what happened, but if I leave those two together much longer I can see Elena throttling her. Do me a favour and take care of Elena tonight so I can talk to Meg."

"You want to be careful of who's looking out, news gets back that you're dating your XO there'll be trouble."

"It's taken care of, as of this morning she's your XO not mine. Lt Turner is staying on Kingston until Lt Gordon is fit to return then he's transferring to us permanently."

"Nice going."

"Yeah, now I've got what I want it's your turn. Show her a little of that Mulholland charm and she'll be eating out of your hand."

"I think right now I'm charmed out."

"Then find it, from what Megan says as much as Elena seems okay, it's all a façade, she needs someone to really make her laugh and you can do that. I'll let you into a secret, that day you sailed and I ran into her at the coffee shop, I know you sent her a text, it brightened up her afternoon. I bet she's still got it and any others you've sent her. You like the chase, but this girl's different, she's got under your skin, that should tell you something."

"And you want me to do something about it so you can wine and dine her best friend?"

"You've got it. Now go after her," Razor encouraged giving him a slight shove towards the Marina.

…

Elena had made it onto the jetty when he caught up with her.

"I suppose Razor told you to come after me," she stated tiredly as she climbed aboard the cruiser, she wasn't in the mood for a long drawn out debate.

"I was coming after you anyway. Elena, we need to talk." He certainly picked his moments, she felt like her head was about to explode, and she had no real idea what was happening.

"Yeah, we do, but right now I can't think straight, my head's pounding," she mumbled, obviously well enough for him to understand.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked resting his hand on her arm.

"Juice, in the fridge, I-" her voice trailed off, she felt light-headed for a few seconds; she must have appeared unsteady on her feet as she felt his arm around her as he guided her towards the cabin and helped her onto the bed.

She must have blacked out because it was dark when she opened her eyes. A sliver of light was visible through the crack in the open door and looking over at the clock; she realized she had been sleeping for several hours. She vaguely remembered someone helping her to bed, but had no recollection of them covering her with a blanket; sitting up she pushed it away from her and stood up. Emerging into the main cabin she saw Megan, appearing unconcerned and reading some trashy magazine.

"Hi, how are you feeling now?" her friend asked looking up at the sound of her entrance.

"Better, I felt like someone had my head in a vice," Elena confessed glancing around. "What have you been up to?"

"Planning what you can wear for your date," she answered with a smile.

"I haven't got a date," Elena countered, her forehead creasing into a frown as she tried to remember what happened earlier, the last thing she remembered was leaving the beach, walking away from Dutchy before she yelled at him.

"A certain hot looking guy with a guilt complex? Come-on don't tell me you forgot what happened on the beach?"

Elena could remember sitting talking, but not much else after the headache kicked in. "Megan you better not have been trying to play matchmaker, I warned you this morning," she sighed.

"Nothing to do with me, the boys cooked it up. You'll be pleased that you don't have me on your back tonight. I've got a date too."

"Again? Didn't the 2 of you have lunch together?" asked Elena giving her friend a shocked smile.

"We did and he's taking me to dinner too. Now you've got 30 minutes to get ready and we'll drop you off on our way out. I've left your blue dress on the hook in the bathroom and if you hurry I'll be able to do your hair before we go."

"Meg you know I'm not supposed to be out and I've got that boring diet sheet from the hospital," Elena's exasperation showed but merely earnt a secretive smile from her friend.

"Trust Aunty Meg, it'll be fine. It's all arranged. …. Please for me?" she begged light-heartedly.

Elena laughed a little, "you are desperate, okay, so tell me how late are you going to be?"

"All night good enough?" Megan asked conspiratorially.

"So I get a night on my own, someone up there must like me," Elena quipped, pleased that she wasn't about to have Megan to deal with all night.

"Actually they do, your date's sleeping over on the sorry excuse for a couch over there."

"You are match making," Elena accused.

"No, just giving you two the opportunity to talk and so that I know there is someone else around that cares about you to make sure you're okay," Megan retorted forcefully, then flapped her hands. "Now off you go, get ready."

"Anyone ever tell you how bossy you are?"

"Frequently, now go."

…..

Dutchy was staring out to sea as the woman with him added the finishing touches to his surprise. She looked up to see Elena leaving the other two and start walking towards them. "She's here, I think it's time for me to make myself scarce," she announced drawing Dutchy's attention away from the mesmerising shimmer of the sea.

"Thanks for your help Bomber, I hope she likes it," he mused, unsure what else to say as he looked down the beach to watch Elena walk towards him.

"How could she not when she's got such great company," Bomber touched his arm briefly and gave him an encouraging smile. "I hope I get introduced some time, now I'm off to deal with Charge and 2-Dads." She gave him another warm smile and hurried off towards the car park before he could say anything else.

* * *

_Not exactly fluffy, but at least they spoke and Razor and Megan seem to have successfully set them up. _

_You know what to do to get the next installment. _


	44. Sunset Picnic

_Thanks for the reviews to wickeduk and kazzyj, it was certainly a step in the right direction. This picks up where the previous chapter ended and is wholly Dutchy and Elena._

**Part 44 - Sunset Picnic**

He was unable to take his eyes off her as she came towards him; the dress swirling around her legs as she walked barefoot through the sand, her shoes and a small pouch type bag dangled from the arm hanging at her side. She seemed relaxed, but on closer inspection he noticed she seemed to be clasping her shawl like a security blanket around her upper body, leaving very little of her pale skin visible, reminding him of the way she had dressed earlier. The covering was probably an attempt at hiding the bruises she'd sustained from the explosion and she clearly felt uncomfortable in the dress that he began to suspect had been chosen for her.

He waited for her, allowing her to take her time as she approached. It seemed to take forever, but in reality was no longer than a minute or two, until she stopped in front of him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, wanting to know she wasn't going to suffer like she had earlier when she had practically passed out on him.

"Better, sleeping helped," she answered quietly, then fell silent as if she wasn't sure what to say next, when her eyes dropped from his he knew he had to move things on, after all he was the one to stuff up and blame her for her job. Now it was time to man-up and stop avoiding her.

"Hey, Cinders," he cupped her face with his hand and briefly caressed her cheek with his thumb before drawing her attention back to him. "No running, no more stuff ups, …. You wanted to know what I want. … You, … I want to see you smile and make you laugh and know that I did that to you, I want to wake up and know that you're a part of my life. The last few days, … when I thought I might not get the chance to explain everything-, I want you to trust me, to know that I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

"I do, … trust you, I just wonder why you find it so hard to trust me." For a fleeting moment her words sounded like something Kate had once said to him. That time he had practically admitted that it was himself he didn't trust, but this time was a little different, he'd taken an emotional battering in the last year and he needed to learn to trust women again, and especially the one standing silently before him.

"I want to." He caressed her cheek again with his thumb, then he reached his other hand to the side of her face where he had glimpsed the bruising earlier and pushed her hair back. Elena shifted uneasily but didn't resist his touch, "it's okay, I just want to see how bad it is, I'm not going to do anything."

"It's bad," she answered, her eyes dropping to stare at his chest.

"It can't be any worse than what I'm imagining right now." He traced his fingers gently across the bruise on the side of her face and then down to where it disappeared under the edge of her shawl, which he slowly eased off her left shoulder and carefully pried from her hand as she remained motionless and let him slowly expose the bruising around her shoulder and down her arm. When he had teased the shawl from her he could see the bruising which also marked her other arm. "You're right, they're bad, but honey, they'll heal. I'm just glad you're here and willing to talk to me."

"I never wouldn't have talked to you, you were the one with the problem," she answered meeting his eyes again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did, you did the right thing, telling me what you were doing. What happens now?"

An awkward silence fell between them, he could feel the tension as he traced his hand across her shoulder; a crackling sound behind him drew her attention, "you've obviously planned something and I didn't get all dressed up for nothing, so how about you let me in on the plan?"

When he realised she wasn't going to run he let out the breath he must have been holding and took her hand to lead her towards the blanket spread out on the sand.

"I know you didn't do all this on your own, … who was she?" Elena asked glancing up at the car park where the woman had disappeared.

"Bomber, Becca, she was our chefo until last year, she's got this on again off again thing with 2-Dads. But actually all she's responsible for is the food, the rest is all me."

"Aren't fires on the beach banned?" she questioned with a nervous look at the camp fire a few feet away which burned beneath a makeshift frame supporting a cooking pot.

"I'll take the heat if we get caught," he answered as she sat down on the blanket. He watched her for a few seconds then handed her the shawl he had taken a few minutes before. "Are you hungry?"

"What do we have?" she asked.

"Something simple, nothing the doctor can argue with. It should be ready soon," he replied, stirring the pot then dropping onto the blanket at her side.

For a few minutes they sat in silence watching the last few people on the beach pack up and leave, until they were the only ones left as the sun dropped lower in the sky behind the cliff. The sky was left bathed in streaks of pink and orange and the last glimmers of sunlight reflected off the sea, while the sparks from the fire floated around in the light breeze.

"Red sky, should be a good day tomorrow," Elena muttered quietly.

"I'm glad the rainy season is over."

"Me too, storms are all very well, but I can live without ones like we had last month," she added, laying down and looking at the sky.

He rested his arm across his knees and half turned to her, "it was rather dramatic. Can't say I've been in one quite like that where we've lost all power."

"I did once, just after I got out of the academy, my first assignment on board a frigate, I've never been so seasick. I spent most of the night on watch trying not to throw up. Finally the XO took pity on me and sent me to sick bay. It was quite a welcome to navy life, I just made it to the doctor when all the lights went out and the ship pitched, that was when I learnt the real meaning of a storm." He was secretly encouraged when she turned her head to look at him while she spoke.

"Did anyone teach you the pressure points?"

"I'm guessing you'd be happy to show me where they are?" he raised his eyes at the look she gave him.

"Hey, I'm a helpful guy!" he protested and realised that it was a good lead into his relationship with one ice cold queen who had caused him no end of problems. "It didn't seem to have much effect on Madeleine Cruise though."

He turned his head away and stared out to sea, ignoring the shuffling at his side until he felt her hands on his shoulders. He hung his head for a moment as she tentatively began to massage the knots he could feel across the back of his neck, but it didn't last, her fingers stalled.

"I'm sorry I cut you off earlier, I just didn't want anything else to aggravate the headache I already had." Her voice was kind of like a purr against his ear and he turned towards her, reaching for her hand and drawing her round him until she was sitting in front of him, almost in his lap, but he didn't want to rush things. He looked at her, she had slipped into his life so easily, like she belonged there. It wasn't her fault the Navy kept throwing obstacles in their way; each time she had appeared on Hammersley she had tried to be honest with him, even when she was his CO, but he had been the one getting all self-righteous about it. It was time to make up for it.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have-" he stopped when she pressed her finger against his lips.

"You didn't know, I'm glad you chose to run along here this afternoon, because if you hadn't I was wondering how to get you to come and visit me."

He took her hand and kissed the fingers she still had pressed gently against his lips, then he lowered her hand, running his thumb over the pressure point on her wrist, "I'm sure Megan would have found a way."

"I expect she would," Elena sighed fixing him with a slightly amused look, before frowning slightly. "Now I don't wish to sound like a pushy guest, but do you have anything to drink and is dinner ready? I need some food before you tell me what isn't in your file and I know there's a lot more to my ASIO predecessor that no one has told me."

He nodded, grateful that she hadn't mentioned the woman's name, then leaned forward and traced his fingers down the side of her face before dropping a quick, chaste kiss to her lips as he stood up. "Pineapple juice okay?"

He felt himself smile at her slightly surprised look, "you remembered."

"How is Nikki?" he added without elaboration while he disappeared behind a screen and obviously rummaged around in a box. When he came back he handed her a glass of juice then moved to the pot over the fire and ladled the contents into 2 bowls. He didn't have to see her to know she was watching him, her silence merely a pause until she could speak to him without raising her voice. It didn't take long before he had re-joined her on the blanket and held out the bowl, and placed a plate of bread down next to her.

"Nikki's fine. I had Jessie's mum sit her in front of the computer the other night so I could talk to her on Skype, she doesn't quite grasp the concept of seeing me and me not being there. I miss her a lot sometimes." He detected a slight disappointment in her tone, not surprising really when she had helped raise the girl for over a year.

"I bet that was cute, I'd like to see it sometime."

"Maybe I'll let you." Elena smiled and turned her attention to the bowl and sniffed the aroma, "chicken soup?"

"Classic get well food with a twist, you forgot the noodle part," he replied looking hurt.

"Sorry, chicken noodle soup. You've been reading my diet sheet." He couldn't resist grinning at the apologetic look she gave him.

"Didn't need to, I talked to Bomber," he admitted, as he stirred the contents of his bowl . "I hope it's not too boring," he stated as she sipped her first couple of spoonfuls.

"It's not boring, it's thoughtful. I don't think I've had a picnic quite like this one."

"I'm not done yet, I've got a present for you after, but first you've got to eat up." He deliberately watched for her reaction as he spoke, hoping that he wouldn't be disappointed.

"A present?" she questioned, as she gave him that charming, almost coquettish smile that sent his heart racing. He hadn't seen it much, but when it did appear it was natural and she probably never even realised what she was doing. It had been there the night at the bar when she first spoke to him and picked up on the dare he'd been given by 2-Dads. "I don't need presents," she continued.

"You don't know what I've bought yet," he challenged, wanting her to guess, but knowing that it was something that she would never think of if he waited all night. He just hoped she wouldn't hate him for it and that they could have some fun when she'd recovered from the concussion.

"And now you're going to keep me waiting?"

"It's more fun that way," he answered while he focused on the look of anticipation that settled across her face. "You can try and guess if you want."

…..

They continued to eat as he pressed her into a game of 20 questions trying to see if she could guess what he had bought her, the awkwardness from earlier gradually disappeared as they relaxed and laughed at the ridiculous suggestions she came up with.

After finishing the soup he took away the dishes. "Now do I get my present?" she asked, giving him what she hoped was a charming look only to receive one in return.

"Nah, not yet, in fact I think it might not be good for your concussion, I might save it until you've recovered."

"Not fair!" she protested. "Do you realise that it's going to aggravate my head more by you holding out on me?" She tried to give him a seductive smile hoping he would give in.

He shook his head, with a look that she could only describe melting he teased her, "maybe later if you're good." He left her to ponder the meaning behind his words as he moved behind the screen where he had hidden stuff so it didn't distract them from the view; for a moment she couldn't see him, but then he raised his head and smiled at her. "I've got desert if you're interested," she couldn't help but shiver at the tone that sent tingles down her spine. He knew just how to taunt her and if he didn't stop soon she would risk another headache just to drag him back to the blanket so they could make out.

"Maybe later, just bring the rest of the juice and come and sit down," she answered inflicting just a hint of charm into her first words before instructing him to join her.

"You must be feeling better, issuing instructions now?" He seemed amused but still did as she asked, setting the juice box down by their glasses, or more accurately plastic beakers. Then he sprawled out on the blanket at her side and rested his head on his hand as he lay facing her.

They were silent for a moment and she lay down on her back looking up at the sky which still held flecks of colour from the earlier sunset, although now it was almost dark. Sparks from the fire were occasionally fired into the air as the wood cracked and burned.

She could feel his eyes on her and finally she gave in and turned her head to look at him, she resisted the urge to trace her fingers across the furrow on his forehead and draw him from the thoughts obviously swirling in his mind.

He reached out and rested his hand on her stomach, the warmth it generated seemed to flow through her and she rested one of hers on top to stop him from moving. "Have you thought about what would have happened if you were pregnant?"

She almost replied with some flippant response, but the almost lack of an expression on his face stopped her. "A few times, I'm glad I'm not, but if I had been then I would have dealt with it."

She saw his eyebrows raise, registering his surprise, "abortion? We never talked about the consequences when the test came back negative."

"No, it wasn't necessary … and no to an abortion, I couldn't, call it my upbringing I don't know, maybe knowing how hard it was for mum and dad to have me, … by dealing with it, I meant cope with it, face up to the consequences."

"Do you want children?"

"One day, right now I have my hands full with a new job and Dad's health," she paused for a moment considering her words carefully. "There's also the matter of this strange affair I've been having with a sailor. You?"

She noticed the edges of his lips curl slightly, "if you'd have asked me a year ago, I would probably have brushed you off, now, things are different, life's too short, to wait for the right moment, I guess a combination of the action I saw in the Gulf made me a little the way I was, but after the shark cage." He stopped abruptly and sat up, his hand slipping from her stomach and ending up resting across his knees as he hunched forward.

Elena sat up too, edging a little closer so she could rest her head against his shoulder and her hand on his arm. "I guess we're both in the same boat, near death experiences aren't uncommon for us and trying to make sense of them afterwards isn't easy. You know what kept me going on that Russian trawler? The thought that any minute it would be your voice I would hear, that you would be the one to rescue me, but at the same time, I must have known it wasn't possible, you were too far away and then I didn't know if you would ever talk to me again and that scared me more than anything else."

He raised his hand and entwined his fingers in hers, slowly running his thumb across the pulse point on her wrist, "scared me too, I couldn't come to the hospital, it's my fault you were there in the first place."

Elena lifted her head and turned to face him, "I knew it, you can't keep doing this to yourself, you are not to blame for everything that happens. Even if we had been talking you wouldn't have been on the steaming party. What happened was completely unforeseen." She stopped and took a breath, attempting to stop the frustration she felt and keep herself calm to tell him what had happened. "Swain was on the bridge, 2-Dads and I were in the mess when all the lights went out, we went to investigate and found a short in the main fuse box, he fixed it, but it worked like a chain reaction, the ancient wiring just began to short one system after another, we were outside the engine room when we smelt gas, then sparks began to fly we were heading into the store room to take refuge when the whole thing went up. The whole ship listed and the door closed trapping me inside. It was an accident through faulty equipment, you are not to blame for any of it."

He let out a sort of forced laugh, "Bird told me you'd say that."

"She might be young, but she's pretty perceptive. You think a lot of her don't you?" Elena knew the young Navy recruit was no threat, but she wasn't sure what role he was playing with her.

"Yeah, she's a good kid and seen far too much in the 2 years she's been on Hammersley. Are you thinking-?" he never finished the sentence before Elena's brief laugh echoed in his ear.

"I'm not thinking anything. I just can't decide if you're a father figure or a big brother."

"I like to think she's the little sister I never had and I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for her."

Elena listened as he slowly began to reveal the events of the previous year, the disastrous exped with the psychos hunting people, the earlier incidents with Laurel Andrews and the shark cage. Finally he confided in her about the terrorist plot and the role played by Madeleine Cruse. Throughout she sat at his side and held his hand, offering encouraging words as he faltered, but allowing him to say what needed to be said.

Somehow by the time he had finished he was laying with his head in her lap, their fingers still entwined. As he fell silent, Elena looked down and from the firelight saw his eyes were closed, but he must have sensed her shift as he opened them and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't going to do that. Not tonight." He sat up, clearly uncomfortable with his confessions, but she refused to let go of his hand.

"It needed saying, if not to me then to someone, but I'm glad you chose me," Elena wanted desperately to reassure him, but from the sound of things there was little she could do except be there. No doubt over the next few days she would be returning the favour.

"How's your head?" he asked a serious look on his face.

"Okay so far, but if you're up for it some light amusement would be good right now. We can talk again tomorrow."

He tentatively raised a hand to push a stray hair behind her ear and her heart started to race at the feeling of his hand on her skin. His fingers gently skimming the bruise down the side of her face. She swallowed hard as she stared into his shrouded eyes, his features almost in silhouette as he crouched between her and the fire. "Thank you," he whispered, his breath was warm as it danced across her lips seconds before pressing another chaste kiss there.

When she felt the cooler touch of the light breeze in the air she opened her eyes to find him once again rummaging in the boxes behind the screen. This time she followed her curiosity and stood up to take a peek, only he was too quick for her and dropped onto the blanket while somehow keeping one hand behind his back and grasping her hand with his free one and gently tugging her back down, where she landed in his lap and he held her there with an arm around her waist. She let her head fall back against his shoulder.

"You're up to something," she challenged, only to have him reach behind himself and drop a small object into her hands.

"Now you can have this," he added no embellishment and went quiet, she wondered why and figured the best way was to open it and see what he had bought.

She slid off the shiny bow and slowly teased the wrapping open, to reveal what on first glance appeared to be a pack of playing cards. She could just make out the lettering in the firelight and laughed.

"Trust you to get me something like that!" she exclaimed, butterflies seemingly flapping frantically in her stomach as the possibilities ran through her mind.

* * *

_I still want to know what he gave Kate in 4.16._

_Posted 23 June 12  
_


	45. IOU

_Thanks to wickeduk, kazzyj & krystilaurengalpin for their reviews. _

_Not total fluff and there are appearances by some of the crew in this, but you do find out about her present.  
_

**.**

**Part 45 – I-O-U**

The evening on the beach had ended pretty quickly after her present opening as Bomber had sent Charge down to clear up and he had sent Dutchy off to see her home safely leaving him to the task. While their stay on the beach had ended, their evening hadn't and now they were back at the boat and Dutchy had sprawled out on the narrow bench which she had covered with cushions, although the combination didn't quite make for a comfortable fit so most of the cushions had been pushed on the floor.

As he relaxed with his hands behind his head, he watched her move smoothly around the cabin, he wasn't sure what she was doing and he wasn't entirely sure she did either. He waited until she passed him then reached out and grabbed her hand tugging her back onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her, preventing her moving.

"Come here, you need to rest," he smirked, happy to have her settle herself against him, so she had her back to him and her head resting against his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her waist holding her close.

She reached across the table and picked up the box of cards that had been dropped a short while before. He waited, watching her as she tentatively fingered the lettering on the box before opening it and taking out the tiny deck of cards.

"You're right I would never have guessed, but I have to admit it's different." He tried to gauge her thoughts as she spoke, but it was hard, apart from her initial outburst she hadn't said anything else.

He reached out and took the cards from her and set them on the table, "it was a bad idea." The last thing he wanted was to screw up again and admitting his mistake early seemed to be the best way to deal with her reticence.

She turned onto her side, her head rested on his chest as she looked up, "no, it wasn't, it just surprised me. I think it sounds like it could be fun." She reached out again and retrieved the cards, and flicked through them, "what would you like to start with? IOU a strip tease? IOU a day in bed, with lots of sex? IO- shower sex? Is that really possible?" she faltered then half giggled, reading from the cards. He felt her shift slightly and ran his hand down her back, while the other remained curled around her holding them on the narrow couch.

"You've never had shower sex?" he asked bluntly trying to get a look at her face and amazed that she seemed to scoff the idea.

"I've got pretty conservative ideas," she answered simply, in that cute almost naïve way she had at times her eyes sparkling under her fringe as she looked up and met his gaze.

"Well then I'll hold this for later, when you've recovered this will be first," he answered plucking the shower card from her fingers and tucking it into his shirt pocket.

"You didn't answer my question," she pouted slightly and he wondered if she was deliberately batting her eyelashes at him.

He felt his jaw begin to ache as he grinned insanely at her, "you'll have to wait and find out and on that note, I think you've had enough excitement for one day, you should get some rest, we can't both sleep here." He didn't really want to end the evening, but the strain of holding them both on the couch was tugging across his shoulders and he knew by the way she fidgeted that she couldn't be comfortable.

Elena made a point of settling herself against him and running her hand down his body, after returning the cards to the table, "you know there's enough room in the bed for 2."

He weighed the options, the bed did sound a better option than the couch, but he hadn't been sleeping well and she didn't need him keeping her awake; she seemed to sense his hesitation and looked up, stretched slightly and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I'm not going to break and to be honest; I think we'll both sleep better."

At this point all resolve evaporated and he agreed.

The last thing he remembered was wrapping his arms around her as she rested her head on his bare chest as they settled in her bed.

…..

The opening of the trial loomed closer, Elena was running late and tried hard not to bound up the courthouse steps two at a time. With a quick flash of her naval ID she was allowed into the area where the witnesses were gathering outside the court, many of them she recognised as Hammersley sailors or NAVCOM staff and for a brief moment felt out of place wearing civilian clothes, but she pushed the unease aside as she spotted the reason she was there and forced her way through the crowd to find her target.

"Hey," he greeted pressing a kiss to her lips.

"I'm sorry, appointments were running late," she told him, linking her fingers in his and edging closer. She spotted Commander Flynn and Lt-Cdr McGregor standing to the side in quiet conversation as she quickly looked around those gathered in that area of the hallway.

"What did the doctor say?" he asked, resting his hand on her hip and drawing her arm around him.

"I'm doing okay, I still need to see the counsellor, but I should be able to go back to work next week, which is good for you because that means I can be here every day."

"And you know the best part?" he asked his eyes focused on hers as he lowered his head. "I get to do this," he muttered against her lips before kissing her, for a moment blocking out the thoughts of why he was there. The distraction worked for a moment or two before he felt a tap on his shoulder and had to break contact before turning to see Sally and Swain.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we've gotta go," Swain offered apologetically while Sally and Elena exchanged brief greetings.

Elena looked around and noticed that the corridor had emptied somewhat and people were entering the court, while the witnesses were being lead towards another room to wait for their turn. At the end of the hallway she caught sight of the guards bringing the defendants through and she heard his intake of breath and she realised that he had seen them too. She glanced up at him and followed his line of sight as they locked onto the woman in the middle. The smug smile Madeleine gave him churned her stomach, but while he remained immobile, his stare hiding what he must be feeling inside she tightened her grip on his hand and tugged it gently as she turned and pressed her hand against his cheek, drawing his attention to her. She waited while his impassive glare gradually morphed into a softer gaze and a brief smile. She was aware that the woman was being escorted along the hallway towards them before being taken into the courtroom.

"Do you want me to wait with you?" Elena asked, holding his attention a little longer as she searched his eyes for any message he wasn't putting into words.

"You go with Sally, I'll be fine." He answered, kissing her lips again. Aware that Madeleine was merely feet away and probably taking in the whole scene she wrapped her arm around his neck allowing him to deepen the kiss.

"Remember I'm here for you, we're in this together," she stressed quietly when he let her go while giving her a weak smile. She was grateful for the last few days they had spent together away from the madness concerning the start of the trial. She was in no doubt that getting out of town and going to the ranch for the weekend had been the right move. Not only had she had a chance to reassure her father that she was alright and spend some time with him, but her and Dutchy had got to talk more and he'd helped her school some of the horses, a sight that she definitely wanted to see more of.

He cast a final look at the evil woman being lead into court then turned to her again and dropped another kiss on her lips before turning to follow Swain while her and Sally entered the courtroom.

…..

Several days passed and the hearings continued. Each morning after that first one they arrived together, hand in hand, her still off duty and opting for civilian dress, while he looked dashing in his whites. Well at least that's what Elena kept telling him. So far the trial had merely dredged through the minor witnesses. The prosecution had worked their way through most of the Hammersley crew and several members of NAVCOM, including Commander White. She hadn't spoken to him, merely asked Elena how she was feeling, when they had almost bumped into each other the day before. It had been clear from her expression that she still had some reservations about their relationship, but apart from appearing together in court they had been leading a pretty discreet life and Elena still maintained her accommodation on the boat. So there was nothing that the Navy could really complain about.

Him and Swain were still sequestered in the waiting room during the hearings waiting for their turn to give evidence, along with Kate and Mike and looking around it still wasn't clear which order they would be called. Things had changed several times in the preceding days, adapting to the way the defence attorney was using the information that was being revealed.

Each morning had been the same; he had watched as Madeleine was lead towards the court and every time Elena had been standing with him and curled her hand tighter in his and stood closer to him providing him with a sense of calm that he had rarely felt around the evil cow who had tried to kill him. This morning instead of her regular smug smirk Madeleine seemed irritated at seeing Elena with him again. He felt Elena's warm hand rest on his chest as she stepped in front of him and rose onto her toes as she pressed a brief kiss to his lips when he turned his attention to her. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he looked in her eyes.

"Don't let her get to you, she's trying to psych you out, you know what happened, all you have to do is go in there and tell the truth. I'll be there the whole time and when this is over-" she paused and pulled something from her pocket and slipped it into his hand. "When this is over we'll have a night with a little something extra; you can claim what I owe you." He tipped his head to look at what she had given him, but she stopped him. "Save it for later."

Wrapping his arm around her waist they shared another kiss before she slipped in to court. He watched her go then glanced at what she had put in his hand and smiled, he was looking forward to the promise held on the card.

…..

Elena slipped back into court just after lunch and took the only empty seat which happened to be right beside the dock. Madeleine glanced over but remained quiet while giving her a stony stare. Elena ignored her and exchanged a brief word with Sally who was a few seats away. Swain was sitting with her now, having spent the morning giving his evidence. The prosecution were preparing to close their case and Dutchy, Mike and Kate were their final witnesses. The echo of the court usher summoning Mike drew her attention to the front again and she studied the jury again as she had numerous times that week. They looked impassive, obviously taking their task seriously and not wishing to indicate to the assembled crowd what they might be thinking with regard to the evidence so far presented.

Mike was barely on the stand an hour while he answered questions about his command of several situations during the time they were tasked with events surrounding the terrorist plots. At the end of his testimony, the judge called a short break while he adjourned with the attorneys to discuss a point of law. Mike approached Elena first on his way outside.

"Elena, I hear you've been cleared for duty again from next week."

"Yes sir and I'm looking forward to being busy again," she answered, hardly believing the speed at which news of the doctor's all clear had spread. It had barely been 2 hours since she had left the surgery.

"I've got a project I need some help with and I think your language skills may be useful, I'd like to discuss it with you. Can we meet at NAVCOM on Monday?" Mike continued, half explaining his interest in her wellbeing.

"I think so, I've got some follow up to complete from that Russian Cargo Trawler, but I don't think it should take too long."

"Good, I'll see you then." He was about to move away to join Kate who was loitering in the doorway, still awaiting her turn to give evidence.

"Sir, when is Hammersley due to sail again?" Elena's question stopped him momentarily.

"It's not certain right now, probably not until late next week, they're off rotation until everyone has given their evidence."

Mike nodded at her, concluding their conversation and walked over to Kate . Elena could feel a pair of eyes on her and knew that the woman in the dock was scrutinising her, she did her best to ignore her as she took the opportunity to take the now empty seat next to Sally.

"Chris told me about her, she looks the sort who think they can boss everyone around," Sally almost whispered casting a quick glance at the woman who had nearly killed her husband. "I just hope the jury aren't swayed by anything the defence may say to counter what she did."

"Me too, I wasn't around at the time, but hearing what happened with the crew compared to the reports circulating in Canberra seem worlds apart, but having worked with people up here I can believe their account more than hers. It makes me so angry what she put everyone through." Elena had gone through numerous emotions in the last few weeks since Dutchy had started filling in the blanks on her knowledge and that had been compounded by the additional information coming from the trial.

"What are you and Dutchy doing tomorrow night? I was thinking that we should make the most of my parents being in town taking care of Chloe and we go out somewhere, the crew need a break after this week." Sally's question drew her back from the anger she could feel hovering somewhere within her.

"You know it sounds a great idea, it was already a bad week for everyone without this. You got something in mind?"

"There's a new club opened in town and Chris and I haven't had a night out as a couple for so long, would your doctor let you go dancing?"

Elena smiled, "it's why I was late back, I've just been given the all clear to resume normal activities, so try and keep me away."

The door to the judge's chambers opened and the legal teams emerged followed by the judge and the court session resumed.

"Mr Anderson, would you like to call your next witness," the judge instructed looking at the prosecutor.

"Yes Your Honour, we call Petty Officer Dylan Mulholland."

Elena's stomach flipped violently hearing his name; this is the moment they had been expecting for days. Hearing the heavy doors open she turned to see him walk in, his cap tucked under his arm as he scanned the court room, a flicker of recognition the only emotion he allowed himself as he saw her. She tried to give him an encouraging smile as he took his place in the witness box.

While he confirmed his personal details she stole a look at the woman in the dock, her stomach churning again at the creepy smile that settled on her face. Elena turned back to concentrate on Dutchy and for the rest of the afternoon the only thing she did was to try and send him silent vibes of reassurance and comfort while he recounted his dealings with the woman who almost killed him and was responsible for the several and varied incidents where things could so easily have had a different outcome. She shuddered when she realised just how many times he was put in jeopardy by the evil cow.

She was grateful when Sally leant closer and whispered something encouraging in her ear, obviously repaying the favour from when the tables were turned that morning and she had been listening to Swain testify. Although not particularly close before, the week had brought them together, as they sat together most of the time supporting the crew as they gave evidence and ensured they were there whenever needed to keep Swain and Dutchy grounded while they waited their turns.

Finally it was all over and the defence declared they were finished with the witness. The judge carefully studied his watch then looked up at everyone, "we will reconvene tomorrow morning at 9 am and the prosecution will call their final witness. Court is adjourned." The declaration followed by his swift departure allowed a muttering of voices to break out as they discussed the day's proceedings. Dutchy had stood up and before he could move had been approached by the prosecution lawyer. Swain and Sally made their way towards the door, leaving Elena to wait.

She couldn't help looking around as everyone departed, but what really took her attention was the scowl on the woman's face as she left the dock to be escorted back to her cell.

"He won't be around forever you know, he's a security risk and a womaniser, he's probably stringing you along while he waits for the next hot thing. I suggest you drop him before he drops you."

Elena schooled her features, not quite sure how to respond and still keep her cool, then it occurred to her, something he had said, "you're just jealous because he saw right through you, I know you tried to trick him several times and it was thanks to his previous experience in the Gulf and the support of Hammersley's crew that he survived to take you down."

Elena felt his hand rest against the small of her back as he joined her, nothing was said as she glanced up and he gave her a weak smile. "Let's get out of here." He completely ignored Madeleine as he looked into her eyes, "you owe me."

The inflection was not lost on her and she smiled, noting the slight twinkle that suddenly appeared in his eye. "I hope you're ready," she replied, holding his gaze and trying again to shoot him her inner thoughts.

"Does it involve food because I'm starving?" he asked.

Elena giggled, "I'm glad and yes, it's all arranged." She turned to Madeleine who was watching them, the stony look on her face again while she waited for the court to clear before being escorted away. "We have no secrets, which is how it should be," she offered the woman as her parting shot.

She felt the touch on her side as he slipped his arm further around her and applied some pressure to guide her away. "Don't waste your time honey, she's not worth it."

"You're right. Let's go because we've got some catching up to do," she replied with a knowing smile and walking out with him.

They didn't see the look that crossed Madeleine's face.

In the hallway they met Sally and Swain. "Are you alright?" Swain asked as they emerged.

"Had better days, but things are looking up," Dutchy answered with a brief smile, his hand sliding into Elena's.

"We were wondering if you wanted to join us for dinner?" Sally questioned linking her arm through Swain's as they all made their way to the exit.

"Actually we have plans, but we'll catch up tomorrow about the club," Elena replied, wrapping her arm around Dutchy's, and drawing him closer.

"The club?" his confused look made her smile.

"Elena and I were talking earlier, we thought we'd get everyone together tomorrow evening and go out to the new club, you all need a night off," Sally's soft voice answered his question and he then exchanged a look with Swain.

"I'm guessing we're leaving your parents babysitting," Swain chuckled turning his attention to his wife. "I think it's about time we got a night to ourselves."

The two couples emerged into the late afternoon sun, with lighter steps than they'd arrived. The case was still not over, but the pressure over waiting to testify was behind them and they could think ahead once more.

…..

Something had shifted in his mood since testifying, probably not a surprise to anyone else, but it was to him, he hadn't expected to feel so tense at the prospect so feeling it lift somewhat helped him enjoy the moment. Elena had driven them to his place after they left the court, they had mostly stayed silent, lost in their own thoughts, but as they drew up outside his house she glanced across at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, drawing his attention. The look in her eyes held him for a moment, until her hand rested on his and for a few seconds his gaze shifted as she entwined her fingers in his.

"Things are looking up." He wasn't sure what else to say, everything else rattling around his mind seemed completely inappropriate and he briefly wondered where some of the thoughts came from as they seemed totally out of character for him, or was it just that they were for the old Dylan and now he'd changed?

Leaving their entwined hands together he twisted and raised his free hand to push her hair off her face, before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her lips, it took him a little by surprise when her tongue brushed his lips and she deepened the kiss. He never understood how he found the willpower to pull away the inch or so he did.

"What's wrong?" he caught the confused look that crossed her face as she spoke, clearly unsettled at his actions, he grazed his thumb against her cheek.

"Nothing at all, I just haven't thanked you for being there this week." He felt his words weren't adequate enough, "how can I make it up to you?"

"You need to ask?" she gave him that look that seemed so uniquely her that it flipped his stomach in anticipation. "I promised you food, so we should get inside and then after dinner we can talk about desert." _**_**_

* * *

_The cards are based on something that actually exists, so I take no credit for them, but thought they would be a bit of fun._

_Posted: 25 June 12  
_


	46. Hot Blooded

_Hi All, I've been busy the last week, so just jumping in now to post next chapter. _

_Thanks to kazzyj and SeaPatrol12 for reviewing. Kazzyj - I have mixed feelings about Kate/Mike especially after season 5, but this story developed from a couple of scenes that jumped into my head after some S5 episodes. Nice to hear you're a fan now. I could be quite a Kate/Dutchy fan after a few scenes in S4 and a couple of other stories I've read though. Sorry I can't reply personally as you have PM disabled._

_Next part has arrived... This came from a wallpaper done by a friend which helped with the Sunset Picnic chapter, but the song that inspired her wallpaper fueled this chapter (Hot Blooded by Foreigner). _

_ I'll be really interested in your thoughts at the end. _

**...**

**Part 46 - Hot Blooded **

They made it inside his house and Elena tossed her cardigan over the back of the couch and took off for the kitchen leaving him to go and change out of his uniform. He walked towards his bedroom checking his pockets as he heard her moving around in the kitchen. His fingers caught on the card that he had slipped in his shirt pocket earlier and he smiled as an idea formed in his head. He pushed the door open and quickly undid his shirt, removing it and tossing it to the laundry basket in the corner of the room on his way into the bathroom. A few minutes later he walked into the kitchen with a towel wrapped around his waist, hoping to surprise Elena, but she turned around as he walked in momentarily derailing his plan; however the appreciative look she gave him was just as good.

"I thought you were just getting changed," she smirked.

"I had a better idea, come here," he grabbed her hand and tugged her closer causing her to stumble a little, stopping with her hands on his chest while he wrapped his arms around her.

"I thought you were starving, I'm trying to arrange dinner," she countered.

"I've decided to have desert first and there's this," he held up the card he had been holding so she could see it.

"You're serious?" she asked after taking it from him reading what it said.

He smirked as her eyes met his and he traced his fingers down her neck and pushed aside the strap on her dress making her shiver, "shower's already running, it's a waste of water if we don't use it."

"Well if you put it like that, it would be a crime not to make use of it," she answered, running her fingers down his chest, before grazing them along the edge of the towel. "Just don't blame me if you don't get dinner."

"We'll order in, how would you like dinner in bed?" He didn't let her answer merely tipped his head to hers and captured her lips with his before sweeping her off her feet and carrying her towards his bedroom.

...

Elena rubbed the towel over the mirror, clearing some of the steam from it, allowing her to see herself as she used his comb to try and detangle her hair. The water turned off in the shower and he emerged, wrapping a towel around his waist, but she couldn't resist the smirk which crossed her lips as she noticed it slip and settle on his hips and he raked his fingers through his short cropped hair.

Elena continued her task, inadvertently flicking water around, watching Dutchy in the mirror as he stood behind her. After seeing him flinch as water droplets landed on him she deliberately flicked more towards him.

"Hey, stop that!" he exclaimed, looking horrified, but trying not to laugh, Elena bit her lip stifling her own laugh as she dragged the comb through her hair again flicking the wet ends at him.

This time he grabbed her wrist and snatched the comb from her and tossed it in the sink, slid an arm around her waist, released her arm and brushed the hair off her neck planting kisses right at that spot that always made her melt. She couldn't help the girlish giggle as he held her and continued to tease her.

"So that wasn't enough? You want more?" he mumbled against her skin, as his eyes met hers in the mirror making them both smile.

She wriggled from his grasp, holding the towel around herself as she turned to face him properly, "I never said anything."

He grasped her wrist and gave her a gentle tug, reeling her closer like a fish on a hook, "you didn't have to, that look gives you away."

"What's wrong Petty Officer, too hot to handle?" she asked trailing a finger down his bare chest, deliberately trying to keep her look neutral, but aware from the one he was giving her that she was failing miserably.

He shook his head and grinned at her, his eyes sparkling, "not a chance Ma'am, you think you got it under control, but that's where you're wrong, you've just had the appetiser, now it's time for the main course."

His lips landed on hers giving her no chance to answer as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the floor. Breaking the kiss he hoisted her over his shoulder and walked into the bedroom as she shrieked.

"Dylan! Put me down!"

He stopped by the bed and dropped her onto it and she lay looking up at him as he tugged the towel from around his waist.

…..

Kate arrived with Mike at the club the next night and immediately spotted the Hammersley crew organising tables to accommodate the growing crowd. Looking around she noticed that nearly all the crew were there, some with partners or wives, some alone.

"Over here Boss!" Swain called, on seeing them approach.

She waved at them happily as Mike released her hand to guide her towards the crew. She could see Charge trying to hold some sort of discussion with RO, while 2-Dads, Ryan and Bomber were moving tables. She was surprised to see two of their former crew also present, and waved a greeting to Spider and Buffer, calling out to them as they reached the table, "I didn't know you were coming!"

"It's all Swaino's fault he was coming off watch this afternoon when we arrived and said we should join you."

"Of course you should, I didn't know you were still around," Kate answered happily.

"We were tasked to oversee the clean-up from the Russian trawler," Buffer answered then with a more serious look asked about Elena.

"She's fine, still a bit bruised, but she's fit for duty next week," Kate replied, Buffer's eyes widened in surprise and Kate smiled at him. "A real navy trooper, she's been in court with us all week." Kate looked around, "I thought she'd be here, this was her and Sally's idea."

"So I hear and it's a bloody good one if you ask me," he responded raising his beer bottle to her.

Mike butted in momentarily to take drinks orders and she saw him turn to head to the bar and caught sight of Dutchy, Elena, Megan and Bird on the dance floor where they were quickly joined by Bomber who dragged 2-Dads, Spider and Ryan with her.

…..

Sometime later the tables were littered with empty bottles and glasses and the girls were all twirling to a song with a heavy beat, Spider and 2-Dads seemed intent on breaking them up as they all sang along to the lyrics at the tops of their voices. Dutchy and Swain were at the bar watching them. The rest of the party were trying to hold a conversation that was mostly going unheard. Swain placed the order for drinks and turned his back to the bar to see Dutchy watching Elena.

"You want to be careful mate; someone might think you're stalking her."

Dutchy seemed to ignore Swain for a minute then quickly glanced at him and grinned before turning his attention back to Elena who was facing him, joining in with the impromptu girl band thing they had going, her hair flapping as she moved. He could see the smile across her face and he looked at Swain again, "you say something?"

"Never mind." Swain shook his head and looked over at his wife.

Dutchy pulled out his phone and quickly tapped a message into it, then waved it at Elena, who was looking in their direction over the heads of the crowd on the dance floor. For a moment she looked puzzled then dug into the small bag slung across her shoulder and pulled out her own. He watched while she seemed to do it without missing a beat. He waited for her to read the message then she stopped and looked up, the smile now swapped for confusion.

"You two still sexting?" scoffed Swain, having watched the exchange. "I would have thought the novelty would have worn off by now."

"Nah, keeps things interesting, especially when she looks like that," Dutchy grinned, indicating Elena as he put his phone back in his pocket and pushed himself upright, "you can manage here right, I've gotta go."

Swain never had a chance to answer as he worked his way through the dancers to where Elena was standing and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"What's got into you tonight?" she almost had to shout, a hint of confusion still lingering as their eyes locked.

"Have I told you how hot you look in that dress?" he asked, running his fingers down her neck as he lifted her hair and kissed her neck.

"Several times; now, how about explaining that message," she replied wriggling out of his tight hold.

He wanted to tease her a little longer, but he also wanted to hear her answer, "well? Are you?"

"It's a strange question, what do you expect me to say?" Her eyes locked on his again as she seemed to wait for something.

"I'll let you decide that," he answered watching her eyes, he wasn't sure she was taking it seriously and it was hard to hear each other over the music. He watched her read the message again then tap out a response.

He felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out to read her message, but he didn't get the chance as Megan interrupted them.

"Hey, you should be dancing, not making eyes at each other," she shouted, dragging Elena back into the group as the song thundered around them, the beat attracting most of the crew onto the dance floor.

He saw Charge and Lani enjoying themselves and briefly wondered what would happen when she finally moved away to start her new job in Western Australia. Despite the quick marriage and formal annulment they had remained close and seemed happy in each other's company. He turned his attention back to Elena who shot him an apologetic look and he determined that they needed to finish the half conversation from before, but first he was feeling the vibe and joined the others.

_But you've got to give me a sign, come-on girl, some kind of sign  
Tell me, are you hot mama? You sure look that way to me_

The words seemed to talk to him as he watched her gyrate to the tune and he was waiting for a sign. She looked at him and she slowly inched her way closer again, until he could wrap his arm around her and dance with her. As the music faded and the intro to the next song started up she took his hand and lead him to a quieter corner of the room, fortunately out of sight of the crew and away from the blaring music. He could feel the heat radiating off her from where she had been dancing. Her hair was sticking to her neck and he gently teased it away as he leant against the wall and rested a hand on her hip before pulling his phone from his pocket and reading the message she had sent him in reply. For a moment they remained quiet as they exchanged a couple more messages, until Megan and Bomber found them.

"There you are, you don't know what you're missing."

"I think we can live without Charge's sexy man dance," Dutchy groaned. "X, we're kind of having a conversation here."

"Yeah well, you've monopolised her long enough, it's my turn, we're going to have some girl time."

Unwilling to have Elena caught in the middle he reluctantly let her go and she was dragged away from him protesting at their interruption; complaints that all went unheeded.

He picked up the vibration of his phone as the next message arrived and looked at it with a smile. For a moment he thought about her response and then tapped out another reply, remaining where she had left him in the hope that she would escape Megan and return to finish what he had started. He didn't need to wait long before she returned a rather direct question which he rapidly answered.

…..

Elena stood in the lounge of the ladies toilets as several women retouched their makeup, her interest held by the exchange she was having via text. The phone in her hand buzzed again while she waited for Megan and Bomber to decide they didn't need her tagging along. She pressed the receive button and stared at his response, which seemed to arrive as soon as she finished sending hers. For a moment his response confused her and she scrolled back to read the first message to remind herself how this exchange had started and this time the words resonated within her. While the whole tone had been light-hearted and fun, she now saw the deeper message.

She could hear Megan chatting across the room at the basins, but she ignored her, her focus once again on tapping the keys on her phone to hurriedly send a reply. She could feel her nerves tingling and desperately wanted to know what had prompted him to do this now. She had just pressed send and closed the window when Megan appeared at her shoulder and tried to peek.

"Elena, come-on, he's outside, can't you guys leave each other alone for 5 minutes?"

Elena faltered momentarily as her phone buzzed in her hand, "we're in the middle of something and you keep interrupting." She looked at Megan then at her phone and she thought for a few seconds then hurriedly replied.

"What's going on El? You look a little freaked out."

Elena knew her friend was concerned, but she was more focused on the lengthening exchange she was having via text and she really didn't want to continue any discussion unless it was with him in person. For the first time that she could remember, she wished her friend would leave her alone. The phone buzzed in her hand again and she immediately read the message.

"Yeah, I do," she answered it absently then looked up at Megan who had now been joined by Bomber. "I've gotta go, we'll see you back at the tables."

She never gave Megan a chance to answer or intervene before she had darted out the door and hurried to make her way through the crowds to where she had left him.

Getting closer, she saw him leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest as he watched the crowds. He still had his phone in his hand poised to read the next message, one that she wasn't going to send. This one she was delivering in person. As she pushed through the crowd and he saw her she watched as his face lit up with a smile that sent the butterflies in her stomach fluttering. She strode the last few feet towards him as he dropped his arms and pushed his phone into his pocket in a fluid move just a split second before she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him, hard.

Pulling back she held his gaze as she felt his arms tighten around her. "You know we're mad right?" he gave an almost imperceptible nod, "I know what I want too."

….

Kate had taken a break from dancing to quench her thirst and was busy taking gulps from a glass of juice when Mike joined her. Whether their ears had finally acclimatised or the music had just been turned down a notch she didn't notice him shouting at her. "Having fun?"

She nodded madly and half turned to give him a smile, "this was a great idea, I don't remember the last time I let my hair down so much."

"Good to see you enjoying it, I guess this means we're in 'til the end then?"

"I'll let you know when my feet decide," she answered, giggling.

"Are you Lt-Cdr drunk?" Mike asked teasingly, resting his hand on her back.

"No, just a little tipsy." She giggled again and gyrated to the music and bumped her hip against his.

"Good to see you've stopped the hard stuff, I don't want to carry you home later, "Mike answered. "Do you want anything else to drink?"

"Juice, I'm thirsty." She answered edging towards him and nuzzling his ear. He smiled and grasping her upper arms he balanced her against the table before pressing a quick kiss to her lips and heading for the bar.

Kate remained where she was watching everyone. She was feeling good.

"Hey Boss, given up dancing?" Dutchy's voice drew her attention and she cocked her head slightly to look at him.

"Yes, yes I have, you?"

"Just taking a break," he replied with a vague smile as he reached for his beer on the table, then he turned and perched against it next to her as his eyes scanned the crew on the dance floor and his gaze settling on the woman that had become such a large part of his life.

"Penny for them?" Kate asked noting his kind of melancholy expression.

"What?"

"Your thoughts, penny for them, you were away with the fairies." he cast a sideways glance at her.

"You once said to me you can't help who you fall in love with, I disagreed with you. Now things are different, I've changed my mind," he answered a serious expression furrowing his brow as he remembered the conversation in the hallway on Hammersley way back before Bomber and 2-Dads were caught flouting the rules.

"Thought only women changed their mind," she giggled, clearly under the influence of the free flowing drinks she'd consumed. Suddenly she seemed to sober up and looked at him smiled triumphantly. "Have you told her?"

"Yeah, she knows," he answered smugly, his eyes on Elena as she shouted something to Sally.

"Judging by your cat got the cream grin I'm guessing she feels the same?"

"Yeah, we've talked a lot the last few weeks and this time there's no changing the plan."

She smiled, "and what plan is that?"

"I asked her to marry me."

* * *

_As you may know the rest of the story is written, a grand total of 55 chapters and there is a short supplement to this one with the text exchange if anyone is interested. Let me know if you want to see what was going on at the club._


	47. Hot Blooded  Supplement  Text Exchange

_Hi all, as you all seemed to love the last chapter so much, I'm uploading this supplement. The first text from Dutchy is what he sent standing at the bar with Swain and the final one is what Elena receives in the ladies restroom while being hassled by Megan. I can't text, so you have everything in normal English!_

**...**

**Part 46a - Hot Bloodied - Supplement - Text Exchange  
**

**...**

**Dutchy:** It takes three seconds to say I love you, but a lifetime to prove it. Are you free for the rest of your life?

**Elena:** That all depends on what you mean by free. I can have very expensive taste.

**Dutchy:** I'm willing to take the chance if you are.

**Elena**: I'm all for taking chances, what did you have in mind?

**Dutchy:** A change, I always wanted to take over my parents ranch, there's this great place up the coast that would be perfect to raise a family.

**Elena:** 2.4 kids and a house with white picket fence?

**Dutchy:** It's not a house and I don't do fences.

**Elena:** So you want to recreate your parents ranch?

**Dutchy:** Something like that,

**Elena:** You have something in mind?

**Dutchy:** I wouldn't have said if I didn't

**Elena:** So what about the 2.4 kids?

**Dutchy:** I don't do fractions, 3 seems a good number and they would make some nice playmates for Nikki.

**Elena:** Don't you need a wife first?

**Dutchy:** Which brings me back to my question.

**Elena:** I'm sorry you're too late, I think my boyfriend just proposed.

**Dutchy:** What did you tell him?

**Elena:** Nothing yet, I'm wondering if it's too soon.

**Dutchy:** We're adults, I know what I want, do you?

* * *

_There you have it folks, what do you think?_


	48. Need to Know

_As you were so quick with reviews for the text exchange I am rewarding you with another chapter, but just a warning that there is a time jump at the beginning of this chapter, go with it and I hope all becomes clear._

_.  
_

**Part 47 - Need to Know**

"How long do I have to decide?" Dutchy asked facing the Commodore from Canberra, who had commandeered Maxine's office at NAVCOM.

He had lost track of how long he had been in the office and was shell-shocked at the conversation that had unfolded, but he was not about to make any snap decisions and definitely not without speaking to Elena.

"We've got a critical time window. I'd like to give you longer, but I'll need an answer by tomorrow."

Dutchy nodded, his mind spinning with all the implications. This had come out of the blue, no one had said anything about him moving from Cairns and he had settled there, even more so in the last few months. He rubbed his face as he contemplated his question, "if I say no, what are the consequences?"

The Commodore seemed to think for a moment as he looked him up and down, "it's unlikely to go away. You've developed a lot of skills and we want to use them. You've had an eventful few years and you're on our radar, that's not going to change anytime soon."

"Six months?" he asked, still wrapping his head around the information that had been thrown at him since the summons he had received earlier.

"Initially six months, depending on circumstances it could be more or less, but usually it's a six month deployment."

Dutchy noted how the Commodore had still hedged his bets on the timeline. However there was one timeline that hadn't been mentioned and he wanted it clear before he left the office. "And when would I leave?" he asked carefully.

"Two weeks, it shouldn't be a problem for a single sailor, such as yourself. You'll be relieved of all current responsibilities immediately to allow time for you to be fully briefed."

Two weeks was not what he had expected, but what shook him more was the lack of recognition of Elena and their planned marriage. It wasn't something he would allow to be dismissed in such a cavalier fashion. "I'll need to discuss it with my fiancée, we're getting married in a few months."

The Commodore, if he was surprised didn't show it, but his tone did soften a little. "I'm sorry Dylan, that's not possible. This is a need to know mission, only certain key people will know where you are. All anyone here will be told is that you have been reassigned."

Need to know, there was that magic term again, but the Commodore seemed to be missing a few facts that he needed to know, "she's Navy, working on secondment to ASIO here, if my reports are routed through the office here as you suggest it's possible she'll be handling them, and no disrespect Sir, but I've had enough of the need to know crap to never want to be involved again, but she needs to know. There's also the fact that if she stays while I'm away our friends will ask questions." While the anger wanted him to continue the rant, he knew better than to give a senior officer, particularly a member of the Brass his full thoughts on the matter.

This time he thought the Commodore showed a slight element of surprise, which also made him wonder how current his file was if he appeared to know nothing about Elena. "That puts a different spin on things," the Commodore finally conceded, flicking through the file in front of him. "It doesn't mention your new status or your fiancée in your jacket."

"We reported it a couple of months ago to Commander White and filled all the appropriate paperwork."

"It's probably stuck in the system then. Are any children involved?"

"No Sir," Dutchy could sense what was coming; he had seen enough to know that what was proposed wouldn't suit a man with a family; there would be too many distractions.

"Under the circumstances I will permit discussion with your fiancée, but you do not discuss it outside of this building and only with her, do I make myself clear, Petty Officer."

Dutchy nave a brief nod, "Understood Sir, may I be excused?"

"I'll be in town until tomorrow afternoon so I'll expect to receive your answer before 12 noon."

With an exchange of salutes Dutchy left the office pausing briefly outside to catch his breath.

...

About an hour later he knocked on the door frame of Elena's office and watched as she studied the documents in front of her. She looked up and smiled and he wondered how much longer he would get to enjoy that look on her. It had only been 2 months since that ill-fated voyage where she was nearly killed, but she was back at work and they had become closer in the time since. Things hadn't been smooth sailing for them, first there had been the trial of Madeleine Cruise which had put the whole crew through the ringer, but he had survived it because she had been at his side every day. Then her father had caught an infection putting him in the hospital for a week, but he was once again back home. Now there was this, he expected her to react badly and he wouldn't blame her, the place already held bad memories.

"Hi, what brings you here when you've got shore leave?" Her surprised smile made his stomach churn at the conversation he was about to have with her.

"Apart from seeing you?" For a few more seconds he wanted her to enjoy the moment before he shattered her emotions by invoking one of the worst times in her life.

"You don't normally drop in while I'm working," the smile gave way to confusion as he slowly stepped into her office.

There was no way of postponing the inevitable now and the longer he stalled the more probing she would do to get answers. It was time to rip off the band aid and deal with the consequences. "I just came from a meeting with one of the Brass from Canberra."

He was grateful that her office had no interior windows and he was able to close the door and speak to her in private. He knew that there would be a hundred different thoughts going through her mind and he would rather not have the conversation at all, but he owed her the truth about what had just happened and she didn't need to hear it from scuttlebutt in the office.

Elena glared at him as he moved closer and reached for her hands pulling her up from the chair so he could wrap his arms around her while he allowed himself a moment to breath in the scent of her perfume and shampoo. She returned his hug and he felt the tremor that went through her body just before she pulled back. He knew she was starting to suspect something before she asked the question. "What is it?" she asked, holding his gaze, anxiety and concern reflected in her eyes. He traced his fingers down the side of her face and cupped his hand round her neck tracing his thumb absently across her cheek.

"The Brass called me in. They want to redeploy me." He felt her shudder slightly before she stood firm, he knew she would think the worst, after all the brass didn't just go around handing out simple reassignments.

"Back to the Gulf?" she asked, her logic obviously telling her that with his history it was possible.

He held her eyes for a moment, "not this time," he almost choked as he stroked her cheek again, watching tears form in her eyes.

"Afghanistan?" He detected the stifled gasp as she forced herself to breathe. This is what he was waiting for, what he hated himself for doing to her.

"I'm sorry honey, I wish I could make this easy." He could feel her beginning to tremble and grazed his thumb across her cheek again, "I don't have to go; but they've said it's unlikely to go away."

When she spoke again her voice seemed more in control than he expected, but that didn't mean he hadn't heard the hitch in her breathing. "How soon?"

"Two weeks ... I'll be gone six months." It was best to get it all out rather than make her keep asking the questions.

She reached a hand up and rested it on his chest; he felt her shudder violently and he pulled her closer. "I can say no, but I won't be able to forever, so I can go now or we'll always have this hanging over us."

She looked up from where she had been fingering the buttons on his shirt. "What will you be doing?"

"Intelligence gathering mostly." It's what that Commodore had called it, but they all knew what that meant and it wasn't something she would overlook, if she had been a civilian then maybe, but a woman with her experience would know the subtle language used to hide the inevitable dangers that went with the role.

"Covert ops?" she asked quietly as if to reinforce her understanding and he nodded. He could tell that her head was spinning by the vague look in her eyes, and he hated what he was putting her through, but she deserved the truth and he wasn't going to hold things back, not with her experiences both personally and professionally. He watched the look in her eyes change, leaving an element of anxiety but the tears were gone and a new look appeared, one he hadn't seen before, he wasn't sure what it meant and he hoped it wouldn't drive a wedge between them.

"I know what this means and I'll say no if you want me to."

"What are the benefits if you say yes?" She was too smart not to know they would have dangled some form of a carrot.

"Promotion, possible fast track to Lieutenant if I want it when I come back and a place on a patrol boat as XO. I probably wouldn't get Cairns, but it would be home based." He kept his eyes on her as he spoke, watching for her reaction, expecting her to get upset, but apart from the odd tremor that went through her she had remained fairly calm.

"And if you say no?"

"I'll be reassigned to a frigate sometime in the next year which means longer tours at sea and will include the Gulf again."

She went quiet and he knew she was weighing up the options, he let her take her time to process everything and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him and she rested her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back.

A rap on her door broke the silence and the moment. She pulled away from him and brushed some stray tears from her face before acknowledging the visitor. He remained rooted to the spot staring out the window.

"Come in!" As the door opened she moved around her desk to greet the person entering.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry I didn't know you had a meeting." Dutchy turned towards the voice and recognised the insignia of a Lieutenant on the uniform.

"It's okay Lieutenant, you haven't met yet. Petty Officer Dylan Mulholland, Lieutenant Scott Jarvis. Dylan's my fiance."

They briefly acknowledged each other before Elena pressed the young Lieutenant for what he wanted.

"This has just arrived from Canberra, they want an immediate answer," he informed her handing over a file.

"Thank you, I'll be along in a couple of minutes."

With a brief salute he turned and closed the door as he departed. Elena dropped the file on her desk and turned to Dutchy, her composure back in place and her official brain apparently in full gear as she approached the next questions head on, "what happens now? When do the Brass want an answer?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing them closer together again and his other hand found that spot on her neck that seemed to inflame and calm her senses at the same time.

"I have to give them an answer by tomorrow, I'll come back later and we can talk before I take you home."

He trailed his thumb across her cheek as she looked up at him the façade from seconds before rapidly falling and the look in her eyes seeming to cycle through an emotional rollercoaster, "we'll have to postpone the wedding." Her tone was flat and matter of fact, but he wasn't ready to let go so easily and it was one thing he had done some serious thinking about since leaving Commander White's office earlier.

"I've been thinking about that, if I go, we'll get married first."

"We can't, we don't have 30 days," she almost sounded disappointed, he knew she would still need time to process everything, but he needed to give her some hope to hang onto.

"Under normal circumstances no, but there's a thing called special dispensation, it needs a court application and I've spoken to the base chaplain, he thinks with imminent deployment to a war zone and your father's health it would be enough to get it approved. He could perform the ceremony anytime, it also helps that we've just lodged all the paperwork for what we planned." He thought that she would be pleased, so he was a little surprised when she shook her head.

"No, I don't want to do it like that, I'd rather wait for you to come home."

"Honey, listen, if and I mean if, because I don't intend to let anything stop me from coming home, if anything happens to me I need to know you're getting everything you deserve. The navy still lives in the dark ages when it comes to unmarried couples. I know we're listed as each other's emergency contacts, but when it comes to next of kin and who gets benefits it's a whole different thing. If I go I want to make sure that you'll be properly looked after and to know they won't shut you out of any key information." He paused for a few seconds and took a breath. "There's another reason too, a selfish one, I'll only be allowed limited contact with immediate family and I can't live for 6 months without hearing from you or talking to you." He waited for her to say something, but she remained quiet. "You need time to think about all of this. I'll be back later."

"We'll talk about it later at home."

"Can't do that, this is strictly need to know and I've been told not to discuss it with anyone. They didn't even want you to know."

"So you've broken the rules." Her attempt at smiling was fleeting, but she was right, regardless of what the Commodore had said he couldn't have kept the deployment offer a secret from her, she had too much history with the place for it to cause a rift if he went without saying a word.

"No, I told them there was no way I was deciding anything without you."

"I bet they didn't like that,"

"They didn't have a choice, all my reports will be routed through you, so you needed to know." Elena's phone rang, "call me when you're done and I'll come back." He caressed her cheek again and kissed her slowly, trying to pour everything into the kiss that he wanted to but couldn't say at that moment. Finally he let her go, reached for his cap on her desk and turned to the door.

"Dylan," she waited for him to turn around. "Thank you for being honest with me."

They both continued to ignore the phone as they stared at each other for a moment. "It's my posting, but you'll be the one to suffer if anything goes wrong."

He pulled the door open and walked out, leaving her to answer the phone finally.

...

Elena quickly dispensed with her urgent tasks, sent a few emails, then packed up her office and left NAVCOM. She was due a break and she wanted somewhere to think in peace. She knew at that time of day that her usual haunts would be crowded with local residents and tourists, so she ended up back at the base after driving around for a while. She parked her car and headed towards the base headquarters, but veered off at the last moment and found the old stone building nestled among the warehouses and store sheds.

She imagined that it hadn't changed much over the years since it was built and she was grateful that it was still open, although now most people used the new chapel that was part of the main building, she never liked it, too stark, more like a hospital chapel, she liked the old one, it had character, not that she had been in there much, but a few times she had sought refuge there away from the madness she was involved in at the time.

She didn't know how long she sat there, but it didn't matter she needed to process everything so that when he returned she knew what to say. Staring at the ring on her finer she absently fingered it, twisting it, remembering when he put it there ...

_She stood by the dresser brushing her hair as they got ready for a night out with the crew to celebrate their engagement and Swain and Sally's recent good news. She was a little lost in her own thoughts when he gently pried the brush from her hand and put it down. His hands brushed across her shoulders and trailed down to her hands and he lead her towards the bed, she was about to protest about his timing when he smirked and asked her to sit down. Something about his demeanour had made her comply and when he dropped onto one knee she knew he was making amends for the text proposal. When the news had broken he got a fair amount of stick for the unconventional method, she actually found it typical of him and the whole exchange was special. She waited for him to speak, knowing that he was doing this for her, to give her that moment that every girl dreamed of._

"_There's a lot of things I should say, but I'd probably stuff it up, so I'll just say this," he locked his eyes on her as he felt the warmth of her hand in his. "I made some mistakes, I'm not perfect and you can hound me for the rest of our lives for the other night, but I love you. … I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for you and I want that family with you. … So for the sake of tradition, will you Lt-Cdr Elena Larkin agree to be my wife."_

_To complete the moment of course she had agreed. It was merely a formality after the nightclub and while she wasn't expecting him to do the conventional thing, she hadn't even thought about an engagement ring, but he obviously had and slipped it onto her finger._

"_I thought you should have this to wear, all the girls will want to see it tonight."_

_She reached down and cupped his face and kissed him before even looking at it. "Thank you."_

"_Can't really have an engagement party without the bride to be with a ring on her finger, besides it shows you're mine now." he grinned, making her laugh as he sat on the floor and pulled her into his lap, while she held up her hand and let the light catch the stones._

"_It's beautiful."_

The creaking of a door drew her away from the memory and she looked up. He had found her. She waited until he dropped into the seat next to her and took her hand, curling his fingers around hers and resting them on his thigh, "I didn't expect you to be here, thought you still had work to do."

She rested her head against his shoulder, drawing her strength from him. "I'm entitled to a lunch break. What are you doing here?"

"Killing time until I could come by and whisk you away from your desk." He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Have you decided what you're going to say?"

"That all depends on you." They sat in silence for a moment.

"It's not my decision, only you can decide and as much as I love you for thinking of me, I don't want to be the one to stop you. ... I'll be waiting when you come home."

"Elena, you can't evade this," he replied.

"I'm not, honestly, but you have to make this decision based on what's right for you not what I want, I'm not naive about the way the Navy does things, you're probably right that even if you say no this time it will come back at some point when we least expect it."

"So you're telling me I should take it?" he asked quietly, gripping her hand a little tighter and fighting to contain his emotions.

"Think about the carrots, then decide." Elena stood up breaking their entwined hands apart and edged past him into the aisle, "I have to go back to the office." She gave him a quick kiss, "I'll see you later, call me if you decide."

* * *

_I think at this point I should hide._


	49. Deployment

_Oh good the coast is clear, drops next chapter, grabs suitcase and finds new hiding place …_

_Sorry a little later than promised.  
_

_.  
_

**Part 48 - Deployment**

Dutchy boarded Hammersley and quickly made his way to the cabin that he shared with Swain, thankful that there was only a skeleton crew around and he wouldn't have to stand and chat.

As he was pushing items from his bunk into his bag the door opened. Turning to see who was there he felt his stomach drop when he saw Swain, dressed in his camouflage uniform indicating he was on watch. "Sorry, thought you were ashore with Elena."

"Nah, had to come by and collect my stuff," he answered cautiously.

"All of it? Looks like you just cleared out," Swain answered pointing to the empty shelves around the bunk.

Dutchy paused then ran his hand over his face, this was what he had hoped to avoid. His hesitation caused Swain to step inside properly and close the door. He turned and faced his bunk mate, "I've been redeployed."

He noted the shocked expression on Swain's face as he assimilated the news before speaking, "where to?"

"Canberra for two weeks after that I can't say." Dutchy hated not being able to tell the crew where he was going; he felt they deserved to know after the last year they had shared together.

"When do you leave?"

"Tonight. I probably shouldn't ask but could you guys do me a favour? Look out for Elena while I'm gone."

"Sure, does she know?"

"Yeah, she's going to be in Canberra too, but she'll need friends when she gets back." Dutchy turned and pushed the final few items into his bag and zipped it up. He heard Swain's boots as he crossed the tiny room and stopped at his side.

"Of course we'll look out for her, how long will you be gone?"

"A while, I wish I could say more but the Brass have pegged it with a need to know stamp," Dutchy told him, his voice flat and full of emotion.

Swain gave a brief nod, "I understand, does anyone else know?"

"Commander Flynn and the boss, Elena will be able to speak to them," he answered knowing what Swain's question was really asking.

Swain was quiet for a moment as Dutchy hoisted his bag off his bunk and onto his shoulder. He turned to Swain as his left hand adjusted the strap of the bag on his right shoulder. The coxswain's mouth dropped open as he pointed to the ring on Dutchy's finger.

"Where'd that come from?"

"We were married by the base chaplain an hour ago."

"That's fast, what, she didn't want you having any ideas while you're away?" Swain's attempt at lightening the mood quickly sank like a stone as he was greeted with a firm and serious look by Dutchy.

"It was my idea, I talked her into it. We got special dispensation this morning, she needs the security if anything happens."

Swain's mouth dropped for a few seconds as he realised the implications, then he nodded again, "We'll take good care of her, just make sure you come back."

"Thanks Mate," Dutchy held out his hand, Swain grasped it in his own. Crossing the room and opening the door he glanced back, "wish Sally good luck with sprog number two, I look forward to meeting him or her when I get back."

"I will."

"Just one more thing, could you keep this quiet until the boss tells the crew?"

"I never heard a thing," Swain answered, understanding the need for discretion.

After pausing for a few seconds to have a final look around Dutchy stepped into the hallway and pulled the door closed behind him. Swain sat on his bunk and let out a deep sigh before turning his attention to why he was there in the first place.

…..

The following day Hammersley were crash sailed to deal with a Mayday a few hours out of port. Supplies were being loaded as Kate watched over the crew, she was waiting for their new buffer, but the crew didn't know that yet. Megan was busy with pre-departure checks on the bridge and was only vaguely aware of the changes that had taken place in the last 24 hours.

A car drew up and a fresh faced petty officer stepped out, his uniform already bearing the relevant Hammersley insignia. Kate caught 2-Dads and RO watch him as he approached the ship, she moved forward across the gang plank to meet the new arrival. As they faced each other he snapped a sharp salute and she gave him one in return.

"Petty Officer Charlesworth reporting for duty ma'am. Everyone calls me Charlie."

"Good to have you aboard Charlie, we'll catch up later, but first stow your gear and the XO will brief you on our mission."

"Already done Ma'am, I just left Commander Flynn at NAVCOM."

"So he's still meddling in my affairs," Kate smiled, it sounded just like Mike.

"Sorry Ma'am, did I say something wrong?"

"No, no you didn't, let's just say that Commander Flynn used to be Captain of Hammersley and every now and then he likes to think he still is." Kate glanced around and called to 2-Dads, "show Petty Officer Charlesworth to Swain's cabin and meet us on the bridge."

"Ma'am?" 2-Dads questioned, "where's Dutchy going to be?"

"Dutchy won't be sailing with us, I'll explain everything shortly."

"Yes ma'am," 2-Dads replied with a confused look, but for once Kate was relieved he didn't question her further.

As the two walked away she called to Charge to ensure everything was loaded then asked everyone to report to the deck for a briefing before sailing.

Once everyone was gathered, she addressed the crew.

"Some of you will be aware that Petty Officer Nathan Charlesworth, or Charlie, has joined us this rotation, please make him feel welcome as he is our new Buffer and before you ask, during shore leave Dutchy left last night for a new assignment." She allowed a moment for the news to sink in. "I know it was sudden and unexpected but you know how the Navy works, I do have one request however, due to the nature of his new assignment it will not be possible to contact him for the foreseeable future, if you have any messages to pass on they can go through me. Lt-Cdr Mulholland will be remaining in Cairns in her current role as ASIO liaison until his return." Kate noticed a few confused looks and exchanged a brief smile with Swain who was grinning to himself, which told her somehow he had already heard the news. "You're all looking a little confused, Dutchy and Lt-Cdr Larkin were married yesterday before his deployment and she has accompanied him to Canberra where he will be briefed before deploying within the next few weeks. I'm sure we all wish them the best of luck for the future and for his assignment. Now we have a ship to get underway, X, brief Charlie, Swain take the helm and get us out of here, we've got a mayday to get to."

Her back to business note at the end meant little time for discussion as they dispersed, but she knew there would be talk among the crew, many of them would guess it was some sort of secret mission by the lack of information she gave out, but it would have to remain speculation.

…..

Two weeks in Canberra seemed to fly past and before she knew it he was gone and she was on her way back to Cairns. The constant round of briefings and training had kept them both busy and there were times where all they wanted to do was just sleep, but they had been able to get some downtime for their last night together.

She watched as the plane circled the naval yard as it arrived in Cairns causing her to remember the things that had happened since she was first assigned there just over 4 months before. The feeling this time was different, when she landed last time she was consumed with the ranch and her father's health, this time she had those things in perspective but her focus was on what was going on nearly half way around the world. The crew made their final walk through the plane checking all was secure for landing and she heard the change in the engine noise as they approached the runway. She closed her eyes and rested her hand on her somersaulting stomach, hoping that she had the strength to deal with whatever the next 6 months threw her way.

She hadn't expected anyone to meet her, both Hammersley and Kingston were deployed and with Maxine taking some leave she knew Mike would have his hands full at NAVCOM, so when she got out of the terminal she planned to get a cab and go home. However she was stopped on her way out when she saw Sally and Chloe heading towards her.

"Hi, what brings you here?" Elena greeted as she waved at Chloe.

"I thought you might want some company tonight, first night away and all that," Sally answered, hanging tight to her daughter's hand.

"I'm not sure that I'll be very good company, I feel like I could sleep for a week," Elena sighed earning an understanding smile from the other woman.

"But you're not going to, at least I can't the first night Chris is away for a long tour."

Elena wondered how she could gratiously extract herself from socialising so she could go home and wallow in self pity. "Daddy says that Uncle Dutchy's gone away for a long long time, I'm sad," the child's voice tugged at her heartstrings and she couldn't help bending down to speak to her directly.

"We all are sweetheart," Elena replied. "But like your Daddy he's doing an important job, so we have to wait for him to come home."

"We have to remember just like when your Daddy's away they miss us just as much," Sally added to help console her daughter.

"Will my Daddy bring him home on his ship?"

Elena shook her head, "not this time, Uncle Dutchy is a long way away and had to catch an aeroplane first before he sees his ship."

"Is it bigger than Daddy's?"

"I don't know, we'll have to ask him when he comes home. Now how about you tell me what secrets you're cooking up for Daddy when he comes home."

"We made chocolate muffins and Mummy says if I'm good I can have one after tea with chocolate sauce and ice-cream."

"I like muffins and ice-cream," Elena responded with a conspiratorial grin.

"Then you have to come home with us for tea," Chloe answered then looked at Sally as Elena stood up. "She can, can't she Mummy?"

"I think it's a great idea," Sally looked at Elena. "I think I can even rustle up some grown up food to go with it." They collected the bags and headed out towards the car park. "I didn't know if you'd have your car, so if not I can drop you somewhere if you want to freshen up before dinner."

"I don't want to impose and there are a few things I need to do before I report to NAVCOM tomorrow."

Elena knew what they were trying to do and she wasn't used to it, Sally seemed to realise that, "I know it sounds weird, but you've just joined the ranks of the navy wives association and when our men are deployed it does take some getting used to. It gets worse when you have children, Chris can tell you how bad I freaked out soon after Chloe was born, he was thinking I'd left him, but after a few good nights' sleep at my parents I was able to put it in perspective, give yourself time to adjust, I've had my share of frigate postings, thankfully all before Chloe was born, but I know what it feels like, don't feel you have to be on your own, and personally I'd love the company."

Elena conceded when Chloe tugged on the bag she was carrying screaming "please, please, please" at the top of her voice.

"Alright, I would love to come to dinner and I'd appreciate a lift to Dutchy's house."

"His house?" queried Sally as they arrived at her car and began loading the bags. "I thought you'd moved in."

"Not exactly. I still have the lease on the boat at the marina. I just crashed at his place most of the time, nearly all my stuff is still in storage. I guess I need to think about unpacking it at some point."

…..

Dutchy watched the runway disappear beneath him as the flight took off on the next leg of his journey towards India and another flight from there to Kabul. He'd had enough of getting there already; nearly 2 days travelling was giving him too much time to think. He wanted one of those teleport devices that zapped you someplace immediately, then he wouldn't be consumed with second guessing the choices he'd made about accepting the mission. At first he was going to say no, to ride out the storm of wrath from the Brass, but the long term prospects, the carrots as Elena had called them, were too good to pass up. Knowing that the war in Afghanistan was responsible for her brother's death he was certain he would have seen more emotion from her, even hear her beg him not to go, but there had been nothing, just a calm acceptance and her full support for the decisions he'd made. Maybe if she hadn't been Navy it would have been different. But she was and it was her training and understanding that let her see the bigger picture and accept that he had a role to play, the experience and knowledge he had gained in the Gulf and with the terrorist threats on home soil would be wasted if he didn't accept.

The flight levelled out and the seat belt sign was turned off, so he lay the seat back and closed his eyes, but all that did was to send more images shooting round his tired brain. Images of her that he didn't want to think about right then; images that made him realise how much he was going to miss her.

…..

Elena glanced at the clock on the wall and rubbed her eyes. She had been at her desk since early that morning and except for a quick break for lunch she had worked through. It was a satisfying feeling to have accomplished so much, but it was more necessity and deadlines than actually wanting to finish things. Her energy levels had hit rock bottom about a week earlier, her focus and concentration were practically non-existent and for 3 weeks there had been no word from anyone in Afghanistan.

It was three months since he'd left and she expected to be used to things by now, but after having contact almost regularly for the first month things had got decidedly patchy since then until all communication seemed to have ceased, leaving her fearing the worst. Jessie had got wind through her own contacts that someone from the Navy was running point on a mission and it hadn't taken her long to do the maths. Even bringing Nikki to visit for a weekend hadn't raised Elena's spirits, if anything it had made things worse.

She looked up at the clock again not remembering that she had glanced at it only moments before; it was after 21:00 and almost everyone in her section of NAVCOM had left hours before. She grazed her mouse cursor across to the bottom left of her computer screen where two additional clocks had been added to the pop-up box. One was a smokescreen, the other the time she was really interested in, it was late afternoon where he was and she turned her attention to the picture on her desk. His smiling face looked back at her and for the first time she didn't feel the normal sense of peace that it usually gave her, now there was only a void, one she had felt after her brother had been killed.

The void seemed to stretch a cold hand through her and she struggled to breathe while trying not to vomit at the same time. A knock on her door drew her attention enough to take the edge off for a few minutes.

Without waiting for an answer the door opened and Mike walked in, he left the door open and sat in the chair opposite her. "How long have you been here?"

Elena shrugged. "I've been working."

"I know, and so you were last night, the night before that and the night before that too."

"It's been busy, I've had a lot of reports to review," she answered as if defending her working hours.

"But not the one you want to see." She wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question, so she kept quiet. "Dutchy's resourceful, he'll be fine," she appreciated the attempt to reassure her, but she just didn't have any faith in his words right then. Her silence obviously encouraged him to continue, "how long has it been since you heard from him?"

This time it was a direct question and she couldn't avoid answering, "three weeks."

"So you haven't told him?" Mike asked referring to the other things going on in her life.

She shook her head, "I'm not going to, I'll wait until he's coming home, it'll be too much of a distraction if I tell him anything now. I can cope with the ranch, the manager and his wife have agreed to stay on indefinitely and now that Jean doesn't have my father to nurse she's able to help out more with the business side."

"You should take some time off, dedication to duty is one thing, but working all hours and neglecting yourself with not be good for you." He paused briefly as if contemplating his next words, "I thought you would want more time to handle things after your father's passing."

"I appreciate the offer Sir, but I need to be working."

"In which case, I'm going to lay down some new rules, unless you start taking care of yourself. Kate and Swain will be after me with the 50-cal if I didn't."

"They're not here to argue, I'll go home soon, but it's still early in Afghanistan, I have to give him a chance."

"Elena, I'm not just in charge of NAVCOM, I'm also your friend. I don't want to order you to go home."

"Sir-" she wasn't sure what she was going to say and was momentarily relieved when her phone rang. "Lt Cdr Mulholland, …. Thank you lieutenant I'll be in shortly." Elena rose from behind her desk and picked up a file. "I'm sorry Sir, I'm needed in comcen."

Mike watched her go and rubbed his hand over his face. He was about to leave himself when her phone rang again. Without thinking he picked it up. "Commander Flynn, can I help you?" First confusion and concentration, then a smile spread across his face as he listened to the caller, "sure, hold on she just left her office, I'll get her." Mike quickly crossed to the door and called Elena back then returned to the phone. "Do us all a favour and tell her to go home after this, she might listen to you."

Handing the phone over to her as she walked in, he gave her a parting instruction, "take the morning off and get some sleep."

She took the phone as Mike turned and left her office, closing the door behind him.

"Lt-Cdr Mulholland speaking," she acknowledged formally.

"_Hey Cinderella, it's so good to hear your voice."_

* * *

_ Hope you don't all hate me._


	50. Fall Out

_This chapter wasn't originally part of the plan, but it seemed to write itself and you get to see a little of what is happening to Dutchy first hand.  
_

**.**

**Part 49 - Fall Out**

Dutchy ducked down behind the rocky outcrop, dropped his rucksack and replaced the sat phone in the empty pouch; he glanced at his travelling companion who appeared to be catching up on sleep.

"So, how is the little woman?" the young soldier asked opening one eye.

"Benji, You'd better watch that mouth of yours if you ever meet her, she out ranks the both of us," Dutchy answered, reaching for a pair of binoculars and peering over the rocks he had been leaning against, he scanned the horizon, looking for activity in the village which might indicate they were aware of the approaching allied forces.

They had been in the same spot for hours, waiting for the cover of darkness to allow them to get closer. He had identified a rocky outcrop about halfway between the village and their current location, enough to shield them and their battered old car from anyone in the village. Satisfied all was quiet he sat back down and pulled out his canteen and took a drink.

"You know we've been on the road together for weeks, but you've hardly talked about your wife. Don't you miss her?"

Dutchy looked across at the younger man. "If I talked about her all the time, it means I think about her and we can't afford to get distracted."

"You've been distracted for days, you've been talking in your sleep again, I know her name's Elena, what's she like?"

Dutchy leaned forward and pulled his rucksack closer then delved into a pocket and pulled out a photo, it had worn edges and creases from the times he had pulled it out and put it back. He paused for a few seconds and looked at it before he held it out to Benji, "this was taken just after we met, she's Navy too. Got a shore posting in Cairns."

He wasn't sure if he should be telling his comrade, but the younger man was right, he had been getting more distracted, desperate to talk to her, but with little opportunity they had limited their communications while they were on the road to preserve the life of the sat phone batteries, not knowing when or if they would be able to charge them anytime soon, but after checking in with base at their pre-arranged timeslot he had been told that their next rendezvous with a patrol was expected within 24 hours and new batteries would be supplied, so a call home wasn't a problem.

Benji studied the picture carefully, "she's pretty, does she know where you are?"

"At the moment it's better she doesn't know exactly." Dutchy knew she would only worry a lot more than she already was if he let her in on their current location. It was easy to avoid, claiming operational need to know, he knew she wasn't entirely convinced, but she accepted it, especially when he promised to tell her in his report that he was required to submit. Although she would get to hear, he felt certain that they would have moved on from this particular place by the time she found out and he would be able to reassure her he had survived.

"Yeah, I guess knowing what we are doing would make her worry."

Dutchy ran his hand over his face trying to remove the grime and dust of the roads and get the grit out of his eyes. "She's worried plenty already with me just in the country, she doesn't need to know I'm going into the village near where her brother was killed 2 years ago."

He pushed himself up and took another look around and watched as an old jeep sped across the dry landscape near the village. He was thankful for the distraction from thinking about Elena, not only was he in the same area, but it was virtually the anniversary of her brother's death and he knew that would be bad enough without revealing he was in the same place.

"Looks like something's happening, we ready to move?" Dutchy asked looking over his shoulder at the gear they had before glancing at the rocks beyond where their old car was partially concealed.

"Sure boss, here, best keep her safe," Benji answered holding out Elena's photo, which Dutchy took and shoved in his shirt pocket, then turned his attention back to the village and raised the binoculars to his eyes. There was a small cloud of dust on the edge of the village indicating the jeep was moving at speed kicking up dust it its wake.

He watched carefully for a few minutes following the cloud of dust to be sure something was still there, then he caught sight of the jeep heading up the road towards them. "We've gotta move now," he stated firmly pushing away from the rock and grabbing his bag, heading towards the car. Benji was quickly on his heels. They threw their packs into the car, Benji jumped in the driver's seat and started the engine, quickly jolting the car into reverse to turn around. "We've gotta get off this road out of sight," Dutchy urged, yanking the door closed as he dived in.

Benji gunned the engine and sped off in the direction they had come from a few hours earlier.

They had barely gone a few yards when an explosion rocked the car.

…..

For several days the voice on the end of the phone had kept her upbeat, he hadn't been able to talk about where he was but to hear him proved to her he was still alive and for the moment was safe. Hammersley were at sea again and Sally had taken Chloe to see her grand-parents in Perth before she wasn't able to travel, leaving Elena feeling isolated; she didn't find it easy talking to Mike and missed everyone else being around.

She left the office early wanting to spend some time in the sun, so after trying to relax with a walk along the beach she headed across town, wondering if she would gain some comfort from having his things around her. Elena opened the door to his house, collected the mail from the floor and wandered into the lounge. The place was stuffy, having been shut up for weeks. She'd thought about moving in when she returned to Cairns, but after spending a couple of nights there she decided it didn't feel right; while it felt like home in lots of ways, in others she felt like she was intruding and it somehow made his absence worse. After that she stayed on the boat and just came by every few days to check on the place.

As she put the keys down and sorted through the mail she tried to remember what it had been like when he was there, but the only thing she could think of was the silence, especially in the main house, she wandered through the rest of the rooms, ensuring there was nothing amiss but stopped when she reached his room. The one she had slept in every night she had been there. It all looked the same, but now it seemed like she was an intruder.

Heavy pounding on the door gained her attention and she moved cautiously to the lounge, wondering who it was that sounded so frantic. When she heard it again she reached for her phone, ready to call the police if necessary, it was then she realised she had no phone, she must have left it in her office.

The pounding echoed for the third time and she edged towards the front door. "Elena! I know you're here, your cars parked out front," she heaved a deep breath, it wasn't some thug, she recognised the voice.

She staggered the last few steps and threw the door open. "Please don't do that again Sir, I don't think I could take it."

"I'm sorry Elena, can I come in?" she nodded and Mike stepped over the threshold and she closed the door behind him.

"Where's the fire, I'm just here collecting mail to pay the bills."

"We've been trying to reach you and your phone kept going to voicemail."

"I forgot my phone, it's in my office." Elena led them into the lounge, puzzled at Mike's harassed appearance. "What's up that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" She looked at him and detected something pass through his eyes. "No, you cannot be here to- to-" she'd started hyperventilating and couldn't get the words out to confirm the sudden fear that ripped through her, she almost doubled over, but Mike caught her just in time and helped her to a chair at the dining table before rushing to the kitchen and returning with a glass of water. She was struggling to breathe.

"Elena, calm down, take some water, have you seen the news today?"

She managed to shake her head and sip some water as she forced herself to listen to him. "No, please tell me he's okay."

"We don't have a lot of information at the moment; we know two allied military were injured when a roadside bomb exploded a couple of days ago. They're being taken to a British base at Baghran by a patrol in the area, their Commander is going to call us when they arrive and have been assessed by the base doctor."

Elena felt all her nerves and muscles spasm, with a shaking hand she reached for the water and managed to take a few sips before she looked at Mike, "you said Baghran? Where were they exactly?"

"About 10 miles north west I believe, why?"

"Parlarzar?" she whispered, looking at her hands which she had clasped and rested on the table.

"I don't know, is that a place?"

She nodded. "My brother, he was killed near there two years ago."

They sat in silence for several minutes, she wasn't aware of anything Mike may have said until his phone rang.

"Mike Flynn," he answered brusquely as he moved away from Elena to allow him to speak a little more freely.

"_NAVCOM said you were out, we've just seen the news. How's Elena?"_

"I can't talk right now Kate, but she would probably appreciate a call later, we don't know anything for sure, except he was in the area. She's not handling it well."

"_How do you expect her to handle it?" Kate snapped. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you're doing your best."_

"I just don't know what to do, I wish you were here, you'd know just what to say."

"_We will be, couple of hours tops, Charge wanted an excuse to test the engine modifications. Where will you be?"_

"NAVCOM, I imagine she'll want to wait for an update there."

"_Alright, I'll see you in a few hours."_

Mike rubbed his hand over his face as he walked back to Elena, who seemed more composed than a few minutes earlier.

"I'm sorry Sir,"

"There's nothing to apologise for, it's a difficult time, I understand that. Now I assume you will want to wait for news at NAVCOM?"

"I'll need to change first."

"You look fine as you are, I'll waive the uniform rule for tonight."

…..

It hadn't taken long for Mike to drive her back to NAVCOM and escort her to his office, where she was curled up in a chair when Kate and Swain arrived. They waited in the main control centre while he finished a discussion with a young lieutenant, then he approached them. Kate immediately noticed the stiff shoulders and concerned flicker in his eyes as he greeted them.

"I see Charge got his wish, do I tell marine tech their modifications are a success?"

"I think you'll have to speak to Charge about that. How's Elena? Is there any more news?" asked Kate, fiddling with her hat.

"Swain, she's in my office, why don't you go check on her." Swain nodded and moved away while Mike led Kate into an empty office and filled her in on what little he did know.

Several hours passed before the phone on Mike's desk rang; he quickly lifted the receiver and acknowledged the caller before reaching down and pressing the speaker button.

"Commander, you're on speaker with Lt- Cdrs McGregor and Mulholland, and Petty Officer Blake."

"_I have some good news Commander Flynn; your two navy men are safe, a few minor injuries, some dehydration and a dislocated shoulder. They were very lucky. Seaman Benjamin will be able to return to active duty tomorrow, a few more days for Chief Petty Officer Mulholland."_

"That is good news. Is there any chance I could speak with either of them?"

"_Seaman Benjamin is in the mess, but we're patching you through to your CPO."_

Since the phone call began, Elena had become more responsive than she had all evening and was sitting very close to the phone by the time several clicks announced the transfer of the call.

"_Sir?"_ Dutchy's voice sounded calm and confident.

"Good to hear you Dutchy, how are you?"

"_Fine sir, how's Elena?"_

Kate stepped forward, "she's here anxiously waiting to hear from you, so I'm going to banish the boss from his office and let you talk to her unless there's anything a roomful of people need to know."

"_A roomful of people?"_ he sounded sceptical.

"Trust me, with just myself, Swain, the boss and Elena, it's a roomful." Kate's response was light-hearted as she directed the others to leave.

"_Alright, no there's nothing everyone needs to hear. My report will be in tomorrow through official channels."_

Kate and Mike both said goodbye and stepped out of the office, closing the door behind them. Elena reached over and lifted the handset then settled herself into the chair, resting the phone against her shoulder.

"You never said you were at Parlarzar," she accused quietly.

"_I didn't want you to worry."_

"I can't stop worrying!" she snapped. "It's alright for you, it's happening to you, you know where you are and what's going on, I don't!"

"_Hey honey, calm down."_

"That's easy for you to say, you're not here, you're not feeling what I am!"

"_I will come home, I promise."_

"Dylan! It was a bloody bomb! Don't you dare make promises you may not be able to keep. I'm not your ignorant citizen here I know the score." Elena sniffed, trying to hold back the tears which had been threatening to fall all night.

"_I'm sorry, I shouldn't- Elena, if I could I would be on the next flight home, but I need to finish this, I'm going back out in a few days, I've still got a mission to complete. I know I can't feel exactly the same, but I do miss you and worry about what all this is doing to you with everything else you've got going on. It seems like it'll never end, but trust me it will and when I get home the first thing we're going to do is take some time off and go somewhere. Have a think about where we could go; don't tell the bosses, but Tahiti sounds nice."_ As he spoke the concern and softness of his voice washed over her and she gradually calmed down a little to realise how much he was worried about her and it wasn't just a one way street.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take it out on you, I just-" she faltered, unable and unwilling to spill everything she had to tell him.

"_It's okay honey, I know it's not easy for you." _

"You have no idea," she sighed, thinking of more than just their separation. Her world had been turned upside down since he found out about the deployment and this just seemed to be the one thing more that rocked her stoic façade and made her completely crack. He had fallen silent and she just listened to the noises on the other end of the line. "Do you really want to follow in the bosses footsteps and go to Tahiti?"

"_As long as they're not there it'll be fine, but if you'd rather go somewhere else that's okay. I think it's just good to have a bit of a plan."_

"Yeah, I guess it is," she answered thinking about what she wasn't saying. She definitely had plans for the ranch now her father wasn't around, but how easy they would be to fulfil she wasn't sure.

"_I'm sorry all this has happened this week, I know it will be bad enough for you and Jessie, are you going to see her soon?"_

"I'm thinking of flying down to see them and your parents this weekend."

"_You should go, Mum will take care of you for a few days, maybe you can introduce her to Nikki, let her spoil her for a while seeing as she won't get any grandkids for a year or two."_

"You think that's safe, inflicting your parents with a toddler like Nikki?" Elena asked, a slight lilt to her voice as she thought about the individuals concerned.

"_Trust me, Mum will love it."_

"I'll talk to them in the morning and see if I can arrange something. … how are you doing really?"

"_I'm fine; Elena, it wasn't our car that exploded. We were caught in the fall out. It was a jeep full of local militia, we were blown off the road with the force of the blast, I busted my shoulder saving Benji from going over a ravine in the car. The doctors here are first class and say I'll be good as new in no time."_

They chatted for a few more minutes before he was needed for doctor's rounds at the other end.

From outside Kate watched her hang up the phone and sink back into the chair. She took it as her cue to re-enter Mike's office.

"He sounded okay," Kate greeted trying to gauge her mood.

"Yeah, nothing keeps him down for long, … I'd better think about going home, let Mike have his office back." She was relieved that Elena seemed somewhat more upbeat than earlier, no doubt due to the conversation she had just had and his reassurance that he was indeed alright.

"He's giving up for tonight, we're heading home, we'd like you to stay with us for a few days," Kate ventured, they had decided that Elena may welcome some companionship after the day's events and Kate and Mike had taken it upon themselves to offer her a place to stay.

"It's okay; I think I'll stay at the house tonight. I actually think I'll sleep better," Kate could understand her thinking; she always slept now with one of Mike's t-shirts when she was on the ship, so perhaps having some of Dutchy's things around would be a comfort.

"Then I hope your spare room is free because those two very overprotective men out there won't let you stay alone, so you've got yourself a house-guest." She knew that if Elena insisted on staying alone and the men got pig-headed about it there could be world war three with them all being so stubborn, so she tried to take the line of least resistance.

"Are you sure? I would have thought Mike would want you all to himself tonight," Elena answered, sounding a little relieved that she wouldn't be alone.

"It's fine, he can cope for a night without me, besides, I want some girl talk, what do you say to hot chocolate and ice cream?"

"Too late for ice cream, we'll stop off and get Marshmallows." Kate agreed quickly before she changed her mind about having company.

…..

Arriving back at the house Elena gained a little comfort from having his things around her and with Kate they sat up half the night catching up, the first chance they had really had the time for much beyond quick hellos. Kate had successfully persuaded Megan that Elena would be looked after and to leave her alone for a day or two. She had thankfully agreed fairly quickly, especially when Kate drew the need to know card as she disembarked. As things turned out and despite complete exhaustion, sleep didn't come easily to either of them and girl talk was just the answer.

When she finally slipped into bed in the early hours of the morning Elena thought about the plan that had been insinuating itself into her mind more in recent weeks, she looked around the bedroom before turning the light out and decided that they needed a new place in the city, something that would be theirs, a base for when he was on shore leave and couldn't get to the ranch, but not this house, it had lost all its charm in recent months and she needed a new start. At the beginning she had decided not to make any rushed changes, but the more she thought about it the more she needed this one.

* * *

_I know, you want him home now, but I couldn't make it all smooth sailing could I? Leave comments and you'll get the next instalment.  
_


	51. Overwhelmed

_I think it might be safe to come out of hiding now. Hope this is what you wanted. _

_Krystilauren - thanks for the review, glad you're still enjoying this.  
_

**.**

**Part 50 - Overwhelmed**

Several more months passed and a new arrival in the Blake household had everyone on their toes. This time Swain had been fortunate to be on shore leave when events began unfolding and Mike pulled out all the stops to avoid him missing the birth of his second child when Hammersley were crash sailed. The Gods obviously were smiling on them as Sally was safely delivered of another daughter, who they named Serena.

Elena had assumed Chloe sitting duties and found it a distraction from the latest lack of communication from other parts of the world. Too excited for school the young girl was like a whirlwind as she stayed at home with Elena while Swain collected Sally and Serena from the hospital a few days later. Chloe was taking her new role as a big sister seriously, but at the same time was a ball of excited energy who had been insistent that they make cards and banners to welcome home her new sibling.

By the time the rest of the family arrived, the house had been transformed by Chloe's artwork and several balloons and streamers that Elena had taken her to buy.

Giving the family time to themselves, Elena busied herself in their kitchen arranging a light lunch before planning to make her escape. She had loved watching their excitement, but now she was finding it exhausting and she began to wonder if there would be a chance for a happy ever after for her and Dutchy. Communication in the 6 months he had been away was best described as erratic. Some days she might get a couple of calls, then hear nothing for weeks, but the longer he was away the harder she was finding it to cope with the long gaps, especially with the changes in her life in addition to his deployment. The near miss he'd had with a bomb hadn't helped her much either and she had yet to tell him about everything that had happened, still insisting that if she poured out everything to him while he was so far away it was more likely to get him killed because he was even more distracted.

….

Swain had made sure that Chloe, Sally and Serena were settled together on the couch while he sorted out the bags and everything they had brought home from the hospital. He had just finished and decided to offer Elena a hand while his girls got acquainted in the lounge.

"How's it going here?"

"Fine, I'm almost done. Would you and Sally like tea?"

"I'll do it," he answered crossing the room, filling the kettle and setting it to boil while Elena cut the sandwiches she had just made. He watched as she seemed to take extra care cutting one in particular. "Are you spoiling Chloe again? Cutting her sandwiches in shapes?"

Elena looked up, "she needs to feel special too, when everyone drops round later most of them will be fawning over the baby. Just watch her; she's probably going to be overwhelmed."

"Sounds like you know something."

"Not really, but I've had friends with babies and at Chloe's age it's quite easy for them to be overlooked, no one means anything bad, but it happens."

"So, how many would you like?" he asked, pouring the tea.

"Ask Dylan and he'd say three, but right now I'd just settle for having him home."

"Still not heard?"

Before Elena could answer they heard the doorbell ring. "For the record, no, but you know I can't say anymore."

Swain let the subject drop, he had guessed a long time ago that a dangerous covert mission was unfolding and he respected the necessity for secrecy about his former crew-mate's location, but the longer he was away the more concerned he was becoming about Elena's wish to keep everything in her life a secret too. There were things that he thought she should have mentioned and his encouragement to pass on the news was always met with a steely determination to deal with things alone. Despite all the dark times, and there had been more than a few, it was the one thing she had held out on. The doorbell rang again as they stood lost in their own thoughts, "I'd better answer the door." He moved towards the front door to greet the guests, his mind churning with the feeling that Elena really needed some outside intervention and made a mental note to discuss it with Kate later. It had been a roller coaster 6 months and the longer Dutchy was away the more she seemed to struggle with the long periods between contact. Until now most of the crew had speculated that he was serving in the Gulf again, but more recently Swain and Sally had begun to doubt that, after all, the communications in that area were pretty good.

He'd half expected a rowdy crowd to greet him with everyone arriving early to wet the baby's head. Instead it was silent outside and he pulled open the door without thinking properly and almost keeled over with the sight that met him. For a moment he was speechless and as his brain started working he stepped across the threshold and pulled the door partially closed behind him to screen them from those inside.

"What are you doing here?" he asked automatically, caught off guard by the man standing before him.

"What's going on Swain, where's Elena? All NAVCOM would say is she was taking some time off. The house is shut up and deserted like no one lives there anymore and I can't contact anyone at the ranch. You said you'd take care of her." The tone was slightly edgy, but Swain guessed it was more from concern at finding her than meaning anything malicious.

"She's here." Swain managed to choke out still in shock from his former crew-mate's sudden return home, "and from what she just told me she doesn't know where you are."

"It all happened pretty fast at the end, I left Khandahar a week ago I've been on the move ever since, no satellite coverage or public phones, can I see her?" The brief explanation cut short by his desire to see her.

"Yeah, course you can, but I should warn you, a lot has happened while you've been gone, she's changed. It just might have been better if you'd given her some warning you were coming home," Swain tried to caution his former ship-mate, wondering what effect it would have on Elena.

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise," Dutchy answered brightly.

"Yeah, well that's going to go both ways," Swain exclaimed, more to himself, but Dutchy picked it up and a look of concern crossed his face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, clearly wondering if there was something he wasn't being told.

"Yeah, just let me lay some ground work first, I won't tell her, but the two of you are going to need some space to talk," Swain suggested, at least wanting to be able to give them some privacy for their reunion.

"We'll be fine, we'll talk when we get home, just tell me where she is." Dutchy's response was firm, clearly not wanting to wait, but he didn't know what had been going on without his knowledge and it was going to have a major impact on them both.

Swain gave him a firm stare, "you trusted me to look after her while you were gone, trust me now to know you can't just walk in there like you're back from the supermarket. Please, you'll understand why later. Give me a couple of minutes then come through."

Dutchy nodded reluctantly and Swain turned and went back inside. Sally and Chloe were tucking into the sandwiches which Elena had delivered to them while he was at the door.

"Who was at the door, are they not coming in?" asked Sally half looking around him.

"They will in a minute, are you alright there? I need to talk to Elena."

"We're fine, what's wrong?" she asked clearly picking up on his expression.

"There's someone to see her." He watched Sally's expression change and immediately knew she had assumed the worst.

"No, it's good news, a pretty big surprise, is she in the kitchen?"

"No, she's out back on the phone. How is he?" Sally asked quietly, picking up what Swain hadn't put into words, deliberately not saying more in case Chloe picked up on the conversation and gave the surprise away.

"In one piece," he replied before heading to their patio doors and sliding one open and moving into the garden. He noticed Elena finish her call as he closed the door behind him.

Elena looked up, "the hordes arrived already?"

"Not yet, Sally said you were out here, everything alright?"

"Yeah, just a phone call from Commander Flynn. He suggested I may want to bring things forward and take the career break earlier than I planned."

"It's probably a good idea, this week has been pretty exhausting, give yourself a chance to recover from taking care of Chloe," Swain answered, trying to keep things light. He watched her expression change as she gave him a half smile.

"I'll be fine, I just need to check on things at the ranch for a few days, it's nothing major, my career break can wait another month or so, by then hopefully Dutchy will be home," she answered giving him a weak smile in return. "I should probably finish clearing up the mess I made in your kitchen.

"Don't worry about it, I'll fix it, give yourself some time to relax, I'll bring you a cup of tea and you can think about the suggestion at least, you've probably earned it, you've been working long hours for months."

"I should say no, I'm here to help you out, not the other way around."

"You deserve it, call it payment for having Chloe for 2 days," he responded, breathing a sigh of relief when she conceded easily and sat down at the picnic table.

"Good idea, I'll be right back."

He opened the door and noticed Dutchy enter from the hallway opposite, his bag still on his shoulder. He crossed the room and took the bag as Dutchy waved a greeting to Sally, Chloe was temporarily absent, for which he was thankful at that moment.

"She's in the garden, just be ready for tears." Swain acknowledged with a sympathetic look and left his former shipmate to head outside.

….

He watched her as he opened the door and stepped out; she had her back to him and didn't turn at the noise as he closed the door behind him. He didn't want to spook her, so he carefully took a wide berth to approach her from the front. She was sitting with her phone in her hand, like she was waiting for it to ring. He pulled his from his pocket and quickly sent her a text.

Seconds later her phone beeped and she hurriedly scrolled through the message.

_I'll be home soon._

He hadn't expected her to reply but she did and a moment later his own phone beeped with the response.

_Really? How soon?_

The beep of his phone attracted her attention and when he looked up she was staring at him, a stunned look on her face.

"This soon enough?" he asked, waiting for her to check him out. He'd expected her to show more excitement, maybe even to throw herself at him, but she remained seated. She kind of looked at the house then back at him. When she still didn't move he closed the gap, a little wary at her reaction so far. The closer he got the clearer he could see the look in her eyes and the tears forming in them.

"You're here?" He wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question, he couldn't exactly blame her after all he'd had time to adjust to going home, maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to spring it on her. He reached out and ran his hand over her hair, noticing she'd had it cut and styled in his absence, then he grazed his fingers down her cheek. His eyes were on her face and he watched as she closed her eyes savouring his gentle caress. She was quiet as he slowly traced a line down her neck where he supported her as he lowered himself onto the bench next to her and tentatively leant forward and kissed her lips. They were both cautious at first, testing the waters after such a long time apart, but that didn't last long and they quickly moved to a more passionate kiss, until he heard a sort of agonised grunt from her and she pulled away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes still on hers as tears started flowing down her cheek, he brushed them away.

"Nothing," she answered reaching for his hand. "Close your eyes." For a moment he continued to look at her, he detected a sense of anticipation as her eyes scanned his face and her lips had the hint of a smile. "Please, close your eyes, just for a minute."

With her hand around his he slowly complied, satisfied she wasn't going to run away. He felt her take his hand and rest it against her body while he breathed in her perfume and revelled in the fact that he was finally home. She positioned his hand and rested hers against his, holding it in place. As good as it was, he wanted more and was about to move when she pressed a more firmly and he began to feel something against his palm. At first he wasn't sure, but then a ripple seemed to run along his fingers followed by a sensation of pressure. It was a strange feeling and he couldn't figure out what it was.

"You felt it didn't you?" her voice was quiet, like she was sharing a secret. He must have nodded as he felt the ripple effect again and realised it was part of something bigger. He was about to open his eyes, when her hand covered them, "don't, not yet, just enjoy the moment."

He wondered what she was referring to but nothing he could think of could make sense. Gradually the pressure and the ripples stopped and she let him open his eyes this time and look at where she had placed his hand. "I've wanted to tell you for months; it seems someone is excited to have their Daddy home too."

Her words floated over him as he followed the swell of her stomach to where she had placed his hand. It wasn't often he was speechless, but as he let his eyes drink in the sight before him he was overcome with a myriad of emotions. He kept his hand where she had placed it in the hope of feeling it again. "When? How?" he finally croaked only to feel Elena's hand on his jaw, guiding him to look at her.

"If you think I'm giving you a biology lesson think again," she giggled. "As for when I'm fairly certain it was during the week we spent at the rainforest. … I found out a few weeks after you left."

"You never said anything," he replied, taking hold of her hand and lowering it from his face.

He watched as the tears formed again and trickled down her face, "there's a lot of things I never told you, I couldn't, I was terrified if you knew you'd be distracted and it would get you killed."

"When did you plan to tell me?" he asked, wondering whether he was amazed at her for taking it on alone or if he was mad because she never said anything.

"I'm not sure, some maybe when I knew you were coming home and would be safe, but this," she rested his hand back against her bulging stomach. "I don't know, maybe I would have waited until you were here, I wanted to tell you in person."

The baby moved again beneath his hand and this time he felt something different, he looked down at his hand as if to see what was happening. It was such a lot to take in, that he was going to be a father, that she had known practically the whole time he was gone, that she had kept quiet to protect him, that he was home now and this was real. He looked up at her face again and with his free hand fingered her hair.

"You changed your hair," he commented.

She nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks again, which he gently wiped away with his thumb, before kissing her again, a slow smouldering start quickly moving to something intense until he felt the baby shift again and he pulled back, grazing his thumb over her slightly swollen lips.

"I've missed you," he whispered resting his forehead against hers. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck.

"You have no idea."

After sitting in silence for a moment, he could feel the strain across his back from the awkward position he was sitting in, he shifted and reluctantly let her go, "I guess I should go say a proper hello to Swain and Sally."

"Then I'll take you home."

He stood up and held out his hands, which she took so that he could help her up.

…..

He had refused to let Elena drive when they left Swain's, so when she began to give him directions he gave her a curious look.

"Are you still on the boat? I thought you were moving into the house."

She met his gaze briefly before he turned his attention back to the road and reached for her hand. "I tried, I really did, but I couldn't, it just didn't feel right."

"Elena, you shouldn't be on the boat like that," he scolded nodding his head towards her stomach.

"I'm not, I haven't been for a few months. I just hope you're going to like what I did. Turn left up there, then second right." He released her hand and concentrated for a few moments on following her guidance.

As they pulled into a tree lined street she pointed out a driveway and he slowly eased the car onto it and stopped, looking up at the 2-storey house before them. After a minute of silence he got out and walked around the car, his eyes scrutinising the place until he reached out and opened Elena's door and held his hand out to help her when his eyes transferred to hers.

"You've been staying here?"

She took his hand and got out of the car, "I rented this place three months ago, I needed something that we could use as a base in Cairns and as much as I loved your place at the beginning, it's not really big enough for a family. This has enough room for a nursery and guests, it's not far from the base or the beach, come on, I'll show you the rest."

She tugged his hand slightly where it was still wrapped around hers from helping her out of the car, but he stopped her while he retrieved his bag and hoisted it on his shoulder, before wrapping an arm around her and letting her lead him to the door.

* * *

_Congrats to those who guessed one of the secrets Elena's been hiding, and of course he had to come home in one piece, was there ever any doubt? The question is how does he handle all her secrets?  
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_Let me have your thoughts...  
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	52. To Protect You

_Wow! 5 reviews in quick succession. Thank you all. _

_To the two guest reviewers: Glad you're enjoying it. Isn't she hiding enough with her Dad, the house and the baby? Dutchy is just starting to figure out things aren't working how he expected, so he's allowed a little anger.  
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_Krystilauren: There are actually 55 chapters, with the text chat a supplement to 46, however, on FF it will show as 56 Chapters. So 5 left.  
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_As a reward here is the next chapter ...  
_

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**Part 51 - To Protect You**

Elena pushed the key into the lock, as Dutchy dropped his bag and stopped her from entering the house as she opened the door.

"I guess if this is our home, there's something I need to do," he whispered in her ear before trailing feathery kisses down her neck.

"What's that?" she asked leaning into him a little.

"This," he wrapped one arm around her and tucked one under her knees and lifted her off her feet in a quick fluid motion, which startled her and made her squeal in shock.

"Dylan! What are you doing? Is your shoulder okay?" she gasped, wrapping her own arms around his neck to help her sense of balance.

He looked at her, "I'm making up for what I didn't do after we were married." He took several deliberate steps inside then stopped as the hallway opened into the open plan living space. "This looks good."

"Wait until you see upstairs," she answered quietly. "Now put me down before you hurt yourself," she instructed lightly.

"I'm good, but I should fetch my bag and close the door, I don't want any interruptions." He spoke too late, as he set her feet gently back on the floor. Elena kept her arms around his neck as they were interrupted by a rap on the door.

"Mrs M? you home? Is everything alright?" A young male voice echoed in the empty hallway several feet away.

Elena gave Dutchy a quick peck on his lips and removed her arms from his neck to greet the visitor. "Brad, everything is fine thank you."

She took a few steps towards the teenager and Dutchy caught her wrist and stopped her going closer.

Brad and Dutchy eyed each other with suspicion for a few seconds as the youngster held up the bag previously dropped on the step. "I thought I heard you scream and I found this on your step," he offered now beginning to seem uncertain of his actions.

"Thanks, you can leave it there," Elena answered pointing to a space on the floor just in the lounge area.

"Well, I guess I'd better- er- go if you're alright."

Elena felt Dutchy's hand rub up and down her back as he stood at her side. "I promise, we're fine," she answered rubbing her hand across her swollen stomach as she felt the baby move again. "I'm sorry, I'd better introduce you, Dylan, Brad lives next door, he's been doing some odd jobs for me when the crew aren't around, Brad, my husband Dylan, he's just got back from an overseas assignment."

They exchanged brief greetings and then the teenager left. Dutchy locked the door and returned to where Elena was still standing.

She watched him as he stopped in front of her; she rested her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating. He caressed her cheek and brought his lips to hers, drawing her closer as he wrapped an arm around her. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her hand as his fingers trailed down her neck. It all felt strange after she had been alone for so long, but she wanted this as much as he did. After a few moments he pulled back, "we should get some lunch, but first I need a shower."

"Bedroom's up on the right, there's boxes of your stuff in the spare room, I'll see if I can rustle up something to eat, but first I'm going to ring Jessie and let her know you're safe," she replied, fingering the buttons on his shirt.

"You coming to join me?" he suggested, giving her a sort of cheeky grin.

"I'm not sure it would be safe getting both of us in that shower, it needs a little work." It was one of the things she was hoping he would fix up when he got back, it wasn't very big and was even proving a little tight to fit her in.

"Does that also mean that sex is off limits?" he asked, stroking his fingers across her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She was glad that some things still seemed the same.

"No, you just have to be careful," she answered, "but considering that your son or daughter has been pummelling me black and blue since you showed up I don't think now is the right time." She dropped her hand from his chest to rub it over the baby.

"Are you alright?" She looked up into his blue eyes and saw something unfamiliar in them. It wasn't clear to her what he was thinking; the next few weeks were going to be a big period of adjustment for both of them.

"I'm fine, go check out upstairs and do what you need to."

"Tell Jess I said hello."

He kissed her again before letting her go and heading upstairs.

…..

Elena was in the kitchen sorting through the fridge when she felt his hand rub across her baby bump and his arm cross her chest pinning her against him as he kissed her neck. She could smell the fresh soap from his recent shower, she felt the baby move as she began to tingle from his touch. "Good shower?" she asked, taking a deep breath and enjoying the smell.

"The best in months, although I was looking forward to sharing it, but you're right it does need work, a lot of it." He stopped kissing her and rested his chin on her shoulder as he rubbed his hand over her abdomen stopping when he felt the baby kick against his hand. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I have no idea, I want it to be a surprise, what do you think?"

"How long do we have to wait?" he questioned, his hand rubbing circles over the new life inside her.

"About 7 weeks."

"I think it'll take me that long to get used to the idea that it's not going to be just you and me. I take it the empty room upstairs is going to be the nursery?"

"I've painted it but I was hoping you'd be home to help chose the furniture."

"You painted it?" He asked sceptically, brushing his lips against her neck again.

"You'd be surprised what I'm capable of," she answered, resting her hand on his.

"I see you've brought over stuff from the house, is there anything left at my old place?" he murmured, his lips barely leaving her skin as she rested her head back against his shoulder giving him better access.

"No, most of it's in boxes and your bike's in the garage."

"Please tell me you didn't ride it over here yourself," she felt him tense and his lips momentarily left her skin.

"Are you kidding? All I got to do was sit and give orders, no-one would let me lift a finger to move a thing," she sighed heavily, still annoyed that the team had ganged up on her.

"Good," he mumbled and continued trailing kisses down her neck.

Elena pulled away, slammed the fridge door and turned to face him. "Good? I don't know what you may have said to any of them before you left, but I've barely had 5 minutes to myself the whole time you've been gone. Once they found out I was pregnant there was nearly always someone around to check up on me!"

For a moment an awkward silence descended. He took a step closer and reached out his hand, but she stepped back. "I asked Swain to look out for you. I was worried about what it would do to you, I wanted someone there for you when I couldn't be."

She could practically feel the concern in his voice and as excited as she was to have him home, she couldn't ignore the last 6 and a half months and now it seemed like the dam was about to burst and her stress and frustration were all directed at him. "Yeah, well he probably told the rest of the crew, I didn't need them to do that, I can take care of myself I didn't need a babysitter."

"So what did you want?" he asked, watching her carefully.

She met his gaze and held it a moment, "to have you home. For you never to have gone."

She saw a look of shock run across his face and he stepped towards her again and reached out and cupped her cheek. "We discussed it, we decided, I took this assignment because you said you'd be okay with it. If you'd have said no I wouldn't have gone."

"You don't get it, I cannot tell you what to do, I hated letting you make that decision, it was right for your career, for our future, but it doesn't mean I wanted it or liked it." She stared at his chest as she spoke, the tingle from his fingers on her cheek sending shivers down her spine.

"You should have told me, just like you should have told me about the baby when you found out." She raised her head to meet his gaze as he spoke, his tone firmer than before.

"I did it to protect you, I couldn't handle you worrying about me more than you already were. It's bad enough Niko died there, I couldn't handle it if you were killed too!" He was about to answer her when she continued. "Don't you dare tell me you wouldn't have been, I'm not that naïve! You were blown off the road because of a bomb, I had to hear from Mike that you were in the same place that Niko was shot, you never had the guts to tell me."

"I was protecting you. I never intended for you to know until later."

"I bet if it hadn't been for the bomb you would never have told me at all!" Elena was feeling tense, she knew it wasn't particularly good, but she'd bottled everything up for so long, now she just couldn't stop it all coming out.

"Honey, calm down, it won't do you any good, we'll get something to eat and we'll talk."

"I'm not hungry," she answered petulantly.

"Elena, don't do this, it's not good for you," his firm tone made her look at him, his thumb grazing her cheek, now getting annoying so she pushed him away.

"Don't do what? Decide for myself what I need. You've been away 6 months, I don't need you coming back telling me what is and isn't good for me. What I need is to have everyone stop questioning me like a child. I'm not; I just need to be left alone."

She turned and left, tears clouding her eyes as she headed up the stairs.

…..

Swain's house was buzzing as the crew crowded in to celebrate the new arrival. Sally was sitting on the couch talking to Kate, who was cuddling the new baby and looking like she was enjoying the moment. The boys had spilled out into the garden where Mike had taken it upon himself to light the BBQ while Swain handed round drinks.

The first to arrive had been Mike and Ryan, then the rest of the crew had shown up straight from patrol. At first no-one noticed the missing faces, but after a while there was a knock on the door.

2-Dads was closest and went to answer it. Letting out a shriek making everyone turn and look. "Charge! What are you doing here, thought you weren't due back for a few days."

"Yeah, well there's a few things I needed to sort out and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Swain's new angel."

They walked into the lounge talking and he greeted Kate and Sally, handing over gifts, 2-Dads continued in the direction of the BBQ. "Lani says she's sorry she can't make it but sends you all her best," he offered slightly nervously.

Sally accepted the gifts graciously and asked after the woman who had attracted him to take several trips to Western Australia in recent months.

"She's got a good job at a mine there and is doing well."

"Uncle Charge!" Chloe's voice squealing over the noise caught their attention as the young girl came charging in.

"Hey there young Chloe!" Charge boomed scooping her up. "I'm glad you're here, because I've got something for you our little Hammersley Princess." He hoisted her up in one arm and pulled a package out of his back pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you uncle Charge," she answered, "Mummy look I got a present." Charge put her down and she ran over to her mother allowing Charge to look around at the others present. "I thought Elena would have been getting her hands dirty, getting some practice in for her own."

Swain was crossing the room and heard the comment as Kate looked around herself. "You're right, wasn't she babysitting for you Swain?"

"Ah, yeah, she left here a couple of hours ago, she's probably at home," Swain replied, rubbing his hand up and down the back of his head while he looked at Sally.

Kate picked up on the stalling and frowned at him, "Swain what's going on?"

"We had a visitor earlier, took us all by surprise. Dutchy's home."

A shocked look crossed Kate and Charge's faces, "Home? Did Elena know?"

"Nah, he just showed up after we got back from the hospital. Seemed a little rattled that she wasn't at his place or NAVCOM, but he settled down when he knew she was here. Of course she dropped her own little bombshell in return," Swain replied with a hint of a smile.

"Yeah well it's a little hard to miss." Charge commented with a big grin.

"How did he take the news?" asked Kate.

"I think they were both a little shell shocked to be honest."

"What? Who is?" 2-Dads voice joined the conversation as he walked in from the garden and obviously only catching part of the conversation.

"Elena and Dutchy," Swain answered.

"Why? What've I missed?"

"He's home." Swain responded simply.

2-Dads eyes shot open and he looked at Charge, "Boy would I like to have been a fly on the wall when he found out his missus was knocked-up."

"2-Dads!" Kate scolded, "language there are ladies present."

"Sorry ma'am, but the look on his face must have been priceless. You didn't get any pictures of the happy reunion did you Swaino?" 2-Dads persisted.

"No, I had my hands full changing a dirty nappy."

"Now that's just gross," 2-Dads grimaced, pretending not to throw up.

"Do you think they'll be okay? It's got to have been a pretty big surprise for Elena," Kate pressed, changing the subject slightly.

"They talked here for about 20 minutes then spoke to us and left. Elena said they were going home," Sally offered, taking the now whimpering baby from Kate.

"I'll give her a call later and check everything's alright," Kate thought aloud.

"Actually ma'am, I think it would be best to leave them alone for a few days, give them time to adjust."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Kate sighed.

…..

For a moment Dutchy stood and ran his hand over his face, wondering what he had said to get Elena so mad at him. He thought she would be pleased to see him, but so far there hadn't exactly been much evidence of that.

Now he didn't know what to do for the best, if he should go after her or just leave her. He knew she was capable of dealing with anything she set her mind to, but what was wrong with someone keeping an extra eye on her and helping her while she carried his son or daughter.

He ventured across the room and hoisted his bag from the floor onto his shoulder and headed upstairs to unpack in the hope that she might talk to him, although right then he wasn't sure.

He got to the top of the stairs and moved towards the master bedroom, he could hear her moving about inside and hesitated as he pushed the door open. He watched her for a minute as she ignored him, while she folded the pile of washing spread across the bed. As he watched her he couldn't help wonder what else he'd missed while he was away. He had a lot to catch up on, and maybe he hadn't intended to tell her everything about Afghanistan, but now he was having second thoughts.

He put his bag down and she looked over at him then turned her attention back to the slowly diminishing pile of clothes. He walked over to her and stopped her, removing the item from her hand and scooping the stuff off the bed.

"What are you doing?" she snapped angrily.

"We should talk," he answered sitting on the bed next to her fixing her with a serious look, "about everything." Well at least it got her attention, she looked at him. "I won't apologise for worrying about you or wanting you looked after. But I am sorry for maybe going a little overboard with the protection detail." He reached up and rested his hand on her hip and drew her in front of him. "I know it freaked you out when I was told about the mission, but I really thought you were okay with it, I should have realised there was no way you could be, I'm sorry."

For a moment Elena didn't say anything, she tentatively rested her hands on his shoulders, he could feel the tremor that went through her. "I've never been so scared my whole life, even before Niko was killed, I never felt the way I have while you've been gone."

"Come here," he scooted back on the bed so he was resting against the headboard, then reached for her hand, encouraging her to sit with him. Slowly she sat down and pulled her feet up until she was sitting next to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they snuggled closer together. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about before, I just expected to have a couple of days at least to know you were coming home, to give me time to adjust."

They were both silent for a few minutes and he rested his hand on her abdomen. "We'll do it together," he murmured, kissing the top of her head as she sighed. "Once they said I was going home I couldn't think about anything else but getting here, seeing you, I thought it wouldn't make it worse knowing I was coming home and you just waiting."

"I've got no food in the house and nothing ready, I had all these plans." She trailed her fingers across his stomach as she took a deep breath. He felt her begin to relax.

"So if there's no food in the fridge what have you been living off?" he asked carefully, not wanting to rile her again.

"I've been at Swain's with Chloe for a few days while Sally's been in the hospital and he's been running errands." He grazed his fingers up and down her bare arm as she spoke, anything just to feel her skin beneath his fingers, to touch her and know that she was real after dreaming about her so often like a fantasy.

"So it looks like 2 options for lunch, we go out or order in. What would you like?"

"To stay here and not move," she murmured, running her hand across his stomach, to him it seemed lighter than before, more hesitant, like she was afraid to touch him, it was something else to add to the growing list of things he was finding to talk to her about, but right now was not the time.

"Honey, I can't argue with the idea, but I've barely eaten in 2 days, the airline food wouldn't feed a mouse." he felt the vibration ripple through him as she giggled at his response and he felt some of the tension fall away. He hadn't realised how stressed coming home had made him.

"Then I guess we can't have that, but can we wait 5 more minutes?" Her plea made her sound vulnerable and tired. At that moment he wanted to give her whatever she wanted.

"I can do that." He wasn't that keen to break the moment either and he tightened his arms around her holding her close, breathing in the smell of her shampoo, taking him back to the night she had stayed at his place with Nikki, the first time he had smelt the strawberries in her hair.

"Same shampoo?" he asked, "you smell like strawberries."

He felt her shift slightly as she looked up at him and he caught the tears forming in her eyes. "You remembered," she choked.

"I remember a lot and in the next few days I'll prove it to you, the memories have been what kept me sane while I was gone. Those and the times I heard your voice."

He felt the jolt before he heard anything as she rested her head back on his chest, in seconds the tears were flowing uncontrolled as her body heaved. Swain had said to expect tears, but he never thought it would be like this. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tighter, not sure what else to do.

* * *

_Elena's been bottling things up, so it had to come out sometime and right now he's in over his head, wondering what to do for the best._


	53. Secrets

_Sorry for the delay, it's been a busy week. I will reply to reviews later, but thank you for taking the time to comment.  
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**Part 52 - Secrets**

Elena opened her eyes and looked around. She was laying on the bed still dressed, with a blanket draped over her. It was dark out and a sliver of light shone beneath the bedroom door. For a moment she lay and listened for any sounds, but heard nothing. She felt groggy, uncertain of why she would have gone to bed in her clothes and left a light on. She rolled to her side and switched on the bedside light; the movement disturbing the baby and she gained a few kicks for her trouble. She ran her hand over her abdomen and smiled, a sense of peace seeming to cloak her for the first time in a long while.

Her stomach rumbling made her look at the clock and she was surprised to find it was after 6. She had very little recollection at that moment of anything that had happened to explain how she found herself. She reached again to the bedside table to take her phone that she always kept there, but found it missing. Another jab inside her landed squarely on her bladder making her get up.

Rehanging the towel after washing her hands she looked around. The top from a can of men's deodorant sat next to the canister, she picked them up and replaced the lid before putting it down again, puzzled why she should find it like that. Re-entering the bedroom she saw the bag on the floor by the door and a man's shirt half hanging out of the laundry basket. The bag was typical navy issue, but wrapped around the handle were several airline tags. She recognised a couple immediately but it took a moment for the others to fall into place.

When a clearer picture emerged she tugged open the door and hurried downstairs, well as much as she could in her condition. Reaching the bottom of the stairs and nearly hyperventilating she stopped to slow her breathing as she heard someone in the kitchen. Crossing the lounge slowly, savouring the moment, she was able to watch him as he moved along the counter sorting through shopping bags with his back to her. He had removed his t-shirt and it was tucked into his running shorts, so she figured, he'd gone for a run somewhere and picked up groceries along the way. She edged closer to him and if he knew she was there he didn't let on. The memories from earlier emerged from the fog and she felt a tingle run down her spine. She now understood the sense of peace that she had when she woke up.

She stepped forward again and closed the distance between them, resting her hand on his back as she peeked around him to see what he had bought. His skin was warm against her hand and she felt his muscles ripple against her fingers.

"Hey," he greeted turning his head towards her while he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I was wondering if you were going to sleep all night."

"Too hungry," she answered. "Baby wants feeding, and I expect you do too. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Swain's advice; I was worried when you fell asleep after all the tears." He pulled her in front of him and caressed her cheek, "he said the hormones probably took hold and that sleep would do you good."

"It did. Took me a little while to put things in place when I woke up, but I'm okay now."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, his eyes firmly on hers as if he didn't believe her.

Elena smiled, seemingly for the first time in ages as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his hair. "I can't believe you're actually here and in time for Christmas"

Dutchy, ran his hands down her sides then dipped slightly and hoisted her up until she was sitting on the counter, bringing them to eye level, where she lost no time in pulling him closer and seizing his lips. She wasn't disappointed when he met her with equal intensity. She groaned when his lips broke away from hers, but the sense of loss barely lasted a few seconds as he transferred his attention to her neck and shoulder, making her squirm in anticipation as he found the spot that seemed to crave his touch and make her spine tingle.

He cupped her head with one hand to support her while he continued to plant kisses on her, varying from tiny feather like grazes to something more passionate. She felt the shift of her dress as his other hand gradually slid up her thigh causing her to moan and gaining a smile from him against her skin.

"Good to see I can still turn you on," he murmured a few seconds later.

….

He watched as Elena cleared the table after dinner. He wanted to ask her about a lot of things, but in some ways he was afraid of the answers, but there's one thing that he did need an answer to, just to confirm his suspicions. The problem he had was he didn't know how to ask it. He got up from the table and followed her into the kitchen.

"Come and sit down, honey we can do that later, let's talk about what we can do for Christmas," he stopped her from clearing up as he gently tugged her back until her back rested against his chest and he could wrap his hands around her bump, of course that also meant that her neck was once again fair game for his lips and he smiled when he felt the tiny tremors run through her as he grazed soft kisses across her skin.

"Dylan, stop, we should clear up, the fish will smell all over the house if we leave it," she chided pulling away.

"Alright, here's the deal, I clear up and you go sit down," he tried to take the dishcloth from her hand but she tightened her grip on it.

"No, you're not doing this to me. I'm not an invalid; I can wash a few dishes."

He knew from her tone that she was prepared to argue the point with him and he felt really uncertain about how to deal with her stubbornness. He let go of the cloth and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Fine, I won't argue, what can I do to help?"

She grabbed a tea towel and pushed it towards him, "you can dry."

For several minutes silence hung between them, finally he couldn't take it anymore and as she placed the last item in the drainer he paused what he was doing and looked at her as she concentrated on drying her hands.

"I've been thinking," he opened casually finishing his own task and hanging up the soggy tea towel.

"That could be dangerous," she mocked lightly giving him a look that under other circumstances would have given him a different feel in the pit of his stomach.

He rested his hands on her arms and turned her to face him properly, "you haven't mentioned the ranch or your father, I was thinking if you've got time off, we should go up and visit, I can probably do a few jobs for you too."

He felt her stiffen under his hands and saw the look in her eyes change, he waited for her to speak, but the longer she stayed silent the more his fears were confirmed. A lone tear trickled down her face, but he was unable to move to wipe it away. "Dad's gone."

He'd known it would take some sort of miracle for the old man to survive until he got home; they had talked a little about it before he left, but she promised to tell him when it happened.

"When?" he tried not to let his frustration show, waiting to see if she explained herself, perhaps it had been recently, since their last contact, but her reaction had wild thoughts running through his mind.

There was another long silence before she finally answered, "July."

He dropped his hands from her for fear of crushing her arms in his grasp, stunned that she had kept it from him for so long. He reacted without thinking and his tone was a lot harsher and louder than he'd planned, "Elena! That was nearly 6 months ago, you promised you would tell me if anything happened!"

"You weren't here; you couldn't do anything about it!" Of course she reacted the same way; he wasn't quite sure what he expected her to say.

"You should have told me, we both knew it was likely to happen, true we thought it might not be for a while, but you promised you wouldn't keep it to yourself."

"I didn't, I had help and support, you'd only just gone, what was I supposed to say? Hi honey, you've only just flown thousands of miles away in a war torn country and my father just died? I know how you would have felt, I couldn't have you distracted."

"That's not the point Elena, we were in this together!"

"So you were completely honest with me about what you were doing? … I don't think so, I know I saw the sanitised versions of your reports, just enough to stop me asking too many awkward questions. Anything that was too close to the wire got a rating over my clearance, so don't stand there and pretend I'm the only one to have kept secrets."

"I'm not saying that, just that I wish you'd have told me about your father and the baby, I could have handled it." He fought to control the frustration he had with her over thinking that she needed to protect him and could handle everything alone.

"Maybe you could, but I couldn't! I can't do this anymore, I need some air!" He was surprised when she rushed from the room, the sound of the front door banging brought him to his senses and he rushed after her, only to discover that she was already driving away.

"Elena! Stop!"

…..

Elena wasn't sure how she ended up on the beach or how long she had sat on the rocks for. It was pretty stupid to have gone there on her own, at that time of night and climbed across the rocks until she found one she could sit on. But something about the lapping of the waves on the shore and the calm moonlit night was soothing and she felt her and the baby needed it for a while. It wasn't the first time she had been to this spot, it had become a regular haunt when she was stressed, having discovered it soon after her return from Canberra 6 months before.

It was the nights like tonight that helped to give her the most peace, but tonight she was taking longer to calm down, perhaps it was the baby was more restless after the waves of different emotions that had rocked her during the day. She leaned back and ran her hand across her stomach.

"It's okay sweetie, it's just going to take us a while to catch up and adjust to Daddy being home. Sometimes we're too stubborn to know what's best." Several kicks against her hand were a form of acknowledgement from the baby. "Sh, go to sleep."

She heard the sound of running footsteps along the gravel path a short distance behind her, the sound travelling in the still night air, so she turned to check what was happening and saw Swain out for a run. He must have seen her because he approached, taking his time over the rocks, then sat down nearby.

"I thought you might be out here."

"Checking up on me again?" she asked casually, calm enough not to take out her frustration on anyone else.

"We just don't want anything happening to you."

"It won't, I'm just sitting here relaxing, or trying to," she answered, looking across at Swain wondering how much he believed her.

"It has been quite a day," he commented, running his hand up and down the back of his head.

"Did you know he was coming home?" Elena wondered how much anyone else knew; if somehow the others were in on Dutchy's surprise return.

"No, he just showed up. If he'd have warned me then I would have advised against it, for your sake."

"So what happens now? Have you told him where I am?"

"Would you want me to?" She guessed he was trying to gauge her mood before answering and she wasn't sure how she would feel either way.

"Honestly Swain, I don't know. I've wanted nothing more in the last 6 months than to have him home and I knew after this long it was going to be a little difficult to readjust but-" she stalled. She turned to look out to sea, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be dumping this on you, there's enough going on at home, you should be there with your family, not here."

"Sal and the girls are fine," he answered.

Elena turned to look at him, "it's Sally's first night home, Serena is only 2 days old and you have a very exited big sister, go home to them. I will be fine and if you want to shop me to my husband go ahead."

"I'm glad you said that, because I already told him you might be here," she waited, the look on his face suggesting that he was working up to saying something else. "I've known him a few years, the last time I saw him before he deployed was right before you flew to Canberra, he was clearing out his bunk on Hammersley, he couldn't say anything about the assignment, but his main concern was for you. I've seen him defuse bombs, fight terrorists, go undercover in a major sting operation and been almost killed, more than once, nothing affected him like it did that day. He only wanted to make sure you were looked after."

Elena gave him a brief smile, she had got to know Swain and Sally pretty well since the court case and she had easily formed a close bond with them, but Swain had never voiced his views like this to her before, it made her think a little. "I know we're both stubborn, trying to protect the other one, think we'll ever learn?"

Swain chuckled briefly, "you've got a good chance, just be prepared for the sleepless nights, especially if he's at sea, Sally can tell you what it's like."

"I know, we've talked a few times and now I think you've done your Good Samaritan act, you need to go home."

"So I'm busted?"

"Something like that. You've been sitting here long enough to keep me here until he can arrive, you're safe to go, I'm not going to run away, I just needed a time out."

"Can I at least help you off the rocks before he gets here and loses it again?"

"I guess you can."

Swain pushed himself to his feet and helped Elena to hers and across the rocks; they stood on the sand for a minute as they said goodnight before he turned and ran back the way he had come, heading for home.

Elena ran her hand over her swollen belly as she watched a taxi pull up behind her car along the beach road.

…..

Dutchy had seen Swain leave her and resume his run, and for a few seconds he sat in the car before paying the driver and getting out. He knew she was watching him as he slowly walked towards her, stopping a few feet away.

"I stuffed up, didn't I?" he asked casually.

"No." Her response was short and immediate, stopping anything further for a few seconds, then she stepped forward and rested her hand on his chest, over his heart. "We just need to readjust, we're used to being self-sufficient, to dealing with things alone, protecting each other. You turning up like that, it was nice, but maybe having a few days to get used to the idea would have helped me."

"What if I told you I had to go away again … just for a few days." She screwed his shirt up in her hand as she clung to him, "I have to go to Canberra to debrief and discuss what happens now. I'd like you to come with me, give us time away from here to talk."

"I'd love to say yes, but I've only got 2 weeks before I start maternity leave and a career break, Commander White is being reassigned and Mike Flynn wants to take a few days off while Hammersley are in, I'll be assuming some of his duties."

He reached out and grazed his fingers down her cheek while he stepped closer, the atmosphere between them calm as they talked, "so are they promoting you?"

"No, it's just a few extra responsibilities for a few days. Commander White's replacement arrives in the New Year. When do you leave for Canberra?"

"Day after tomorrow, I got a call after you left. They were trying to arrange it to be done here, but the Captain can't get away. I know you'll be okay with me gone, but I can't help thinking that I should be here with my girls."

"Girls?" she asked, he smirked at her.

"Sounds good, a daughter to wrap me around her little finger, isn't that how it works?" He rested his hand against her side, feeling the ripples of the baby moving. "She's active, is that normal?"

"I don't know if it's a girl, it might be a boy and you could be giving your son a complex."

"Elena, I'm serious, is it normal for a baby to be that active?" He was beginning to realise what a responsibility they had, that it wasn't going to be just the two of them and that as much as he wanted a family with her, he couldn't help but wish that the timing was different, that they had more time for themselves first.

"It's fine, probably just a reaction to the excitement today."

He smiled at her as he drew her closer, "I've got a lot to learn haven't I?"

"We both have, I'm no expert, I've just had time to get used to things a little more." She wrapped her arms around his neck as he put his around her waist. "I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow, come with me, they can answer any questions you have. I'm thinking that afterwards we can take a drive and have lunch at our place up the coast before going to the ranch for the night. I want to show you what I've done to the place."

"Sounds good. So what do you think to me taking you home and us curling up in bed together while I tell you a little of what happened to me?"

"I like the sound of curling up in bed together, but I'm not sure about talking, I've got something else in mind."

It was difficult for him to read her expression in dark, but the way she held herself close to him and brushed her lips across his, she still conveyed her meaning. He smiled against her lips and raised his hand and tangled his fingers in her hair as he deepened the kiss for a moment.

"I like the sound of that," he finally mumbled against her skin as he trailed butterfly kisses across her jaw and down her neck.

* * *

_Are there any more secrets to be revealed? Let me know what you think._


	54. Future Plans

_Sorry for the delay, I was away for the weekend and not much time for computing. Hope you like this chapter.  
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**Part 53 - Future Plans**

For a moment he lost his bearings as he woke up, he was in a comfortable bed in a well-kept room and he was momentarily surprised to find himself sleeping with a woman, her body partially covering his, her arm across his stomach and his wrapped around her holding her close and their legs entwined. He looked down and a waft of strawberry shampoo from a mop of blonde hair met him and he smiled at her while he tightened his hold slightly, wanting to feel her close while not wishing to disturb her. He lay for several minutes indulging in a feeling of contentment that he hadn't felt in months.

He was torn between waking her and letting her sleep, his mind weighing the options. In the end the decision was made for him as she moaned softly against his chest and her arm slid from his stomach onto her own. He stroked his hand down her arm and kissed the top of her head.

"Morning," she mumbled and he felt her lips press several small kisses against his chest.

"I've missed this," he answered, making her look up.

"We barely had this, but it's definitely something I want more of. You do realise that you've been away more than we've been together?"

"I know and I've been thinking."

"Having those dangerous thoughts again?" she asked pushing herself up and starting to get out of bed.

He smiled at her as he reached out, grabbed her hand and tugged slightly to stop her. "Hey, where you going?" he asked as he watched a smile cross her lips and he was about to pull her back to bed when she slapped his chest playfully.

"Bathroom, someone's having fun playing football with my bladder," she pulled away and stood up.

He threw the sheet off himself as he watched her move across the room; he couldn't help admiring the way his t-shirt hugged her body as it stretched across her swollen belly. When she had closed the door to the bathroom he got up and headed downstairs to start breakfast.

…..

Kate arrived on board Hammersley early to go through some outstanding paperwork before the rest of the crew arrived to oversee the loading of new supplies. They weren't due to sail for a couple of days, but you never knew when an emergency could arise and you'd be crash posted, so being prepared was essential.

Having worked for over an hour she was left pondering her last file, it proposed good news for some of her crew but left her with a predicament over replacements. Some were easy to deal with and the solution had already been suggested, but she had no answer for one particular posting and the more she stared at it the more of a headache it gave her, eventually she closed the file and stood up. Heading to the galley she thought that a cup of tea might help her focus.

She had only been there a couple of minutes when footsteps down the hallway drew her attention and she stuck her head out the door to investigate. The frustration she had been wrapped in since reaching that last file left her and she smiled warmly at the unexpected visitor.

"Dutchy! I heard you were back, I'm surprised to see you here though."

"Elena had some papers to drop into NAVCOM and Commander Flynn said you were here, so I couldn't leave without saying hello."

"Where are you off to now?"

"We're staying up at the ranch tonight then I'm going to debrief in Canberra for a few days, after that I'm looking forward to some relaxing R&R, although with a baby on the way I'm sure my wife has more than a few chores for me."

She gave him a warm smile and offered him some coffee. "I'm guessing it wasn't the homecoming you were expecting," she commented, taking another mug and adding the liquid from the coffee pot.

"Not quite and I don't know if it's the hormones talking or what, but I never expected her reaction."

"Still, it must have been good," Kate answered unable to comprehend the way things could have changed between them during his absence. She handed him the coffee and gestured towards the senior's mess.

He seemed to think for a minute as they crossed the hallway and sat down where there was less chance of their conversation being overheard. As she sat opposite him she noticed a hesitant smile before he admitted anything, "yeah, it's good to be home."

"Something wrong?" she asked noting the lack of his normal enthusiasm.

"We're friends right?"

"Yes," she waited a moment, but he didn't elaborate, leaving her to dig for answers. "What is it Dutchy?"

"I just can't get my head around why she was keeping everything a secret."

"You probably know the answer already. It'll be the same one for why you weren't as honest as you could have been about exactly where you were. … You've had a few days to adjust to the idea of coming home, you had certain expectations, maybe even assumed nothing had changed here, but a lot happened while you were gone."

"I'm starting to figure that out."

Kate watched him in silence for a moment his posture and mood reminding her of another time, one before they first reached an understanding.

"So what are your future plans? What does the Navy have in store for you now?"

"I don't know, before Afghanistan they hinted at promotion and maybe a move, but things may have changed." Kate gave him a curious look as she finally realised the answer to her problem was staring her in the face and she knew he had detected the change in her when he sat up straighter. "Oh no, you've got that look again," he said, returning a bemused grin and raising an eyebrow.

"What look?" she asked.

"The one that usually means trouble," he answered his grin widening as he taunted her.

"I've got a suggestion," she stated simply and without giving him a chance to question her she continued. "Do you want to stay based in Cairns?"

"What are you thinking?" he replied, a slight hesitancy in his voice.

"I have a dilemma; Elena's probably told you that we've lost a lot of old faces in the last 6 months. I've got a new young crew; I need someone I can trust to keep them in line."

"I thought my replacement was working out well." She noticed the sceptical look he gave her and guessed that he hadn't yet been brought up to speed with everything.

"Oh he is, but he'll be moving to Kingston in March and Petty Officer Blade will be joining us."

"Razor? That'll make things awkward with Lt Matthews on board."

"She won't be, that's why he's going to swap, she's going to be the new CO of Kingston when Lt-Cdr Curry retires. Of course that news is off the record for now; I don't think they even know yet."

She waited for a minute to see if he picked up on the direction she was going. "So you see this leaves me short an officer, I'm thinking it could answer your problem, it will keep you in Cairns, close to home and shorter patrols with the baby coming."

She had expected his astonished look and when he finally managed to speak what he said wasn't a surprise either, "but I'm not qualified, I don't have the rank."

"It would mean some pretty intensive training at Watson's Bay if you get through the promotions board, but if you're up for it, I'll put a request through."

"Ma'am seriously? You think-" she knew he would hesitate, but she didn't give him a chance to question it.

"Dutchy, you know the ship and the local issues, you and I worked well before and it solves a big problem for both of us."

He rubbed his hand over his face, allowing himself a moment of thought, "does Commander Flynn know what you're doing?"

"Not yet, he will when I send him my recommendations this afternoon, what do you say?" Kate gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

"I guess I could do worse than come back to this tub, how will Swain and Charge take the news?"

"Charge came to see me earlier, he's leaving the Navy, he misses the hands on approach to engineering and he's got a job in Western Australia."

"I suspect that Lani fits into that somewhere too," Dutchy commented.

"Her residency has been finalised and they're planning on getting married for real soon." She paused briefly then looked at him again, "so are you going to come back to Hammersley?"

"It sounds like a plan." She was delighted that she had a workable option to replace Megan when she finally moved on to take her own command. She just hoped that Mike and Maxine supported her choice and made the recommendation to the promotions board.

…..

The sight that greeted him when they arrived at the ranch was not the one he expected. It was no longer the run down place he had seen when he first visited, now it had been renovated and painted and gave the air of a thriving estate. Turning off the engine he got out of the car and circled around to open her door; taking her hand he helped her out and for the first time since his return he got the impression that she was really excited. The light danced in her eyes as she gave him a warm smile.

"Do you approve of what I did with your investment?"

He looked around then smiled at her, "you did all this?"

"There's more, you haven't seen inside yet."

He watched her for a moment before taking her hand, "show me."

Leaving their bags in the car they circled the house and entered through the lounge at the back of the property. Elena let him enter first and he stopped in the doorway, the room was bright and homely, a lot of the old furniture had gone, the walls had been painted and it more resembled a modern home. As he looked around he noticed a few spots where there seemed to be something missing and he imagined those filled with toys and assorted equipment for the baby.

He felt Elena let go of his hand and wrap her arm around his waist and he curled his around her shoulders. Tipping his head to look at her and seeing the anticipation in her eyes he leaned down and kissed her. "You've done a great job honey."

"Why don't you take a look around the rest, I need the bathroom and a drink. Do you want tea?"

"Sounds good."

He wandered around the rest of the house and noted a few things that could still do with fixing up, but the place had been transformed and he could seriously imagine them living there with a family in years to come, although for now it was unlikely to be anything more than a retreat when they shared their R&R.

He found her on the back porch watching the ranch manager school one of the horses in the ring across the yard. Dutchy stood and watched her for a minute, she was engrossed in what was going on with the horse she hadn't noticed him so he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her expanded waist and ran his hands over the bump as he kissed her neck. "I love what you've done; it will be a great place to raise our family."

She rested her head back against his shoulder, "I really am glad you're home."

…..

The next few days passed in a blur for Elena. She spent the time Dutchy was in Canberra preparing everything she had planned for a proper homecoming welcome and finally the day had arrived and she was at the airport early, not wanting to miss the flight that brought him home again. By the time he emerged through the arrival doors she thought she would explode. All the apprehension had gone, she already knew he was safe, they had talked every night while he was away and had finally made attempts to discuss the secrets they had both kept during his absence. Now they had a chance to look forward and build the life they had talked about after their engagement.

She watched the smile break across his face as he walked towards her, he looked relaxed, his sunglasses perched on top of his head and his bag slung haphazardly over his shoulder. She felt her stomach flip as she eyed the fit of his jeans and shirt as he strode across the exclusion zone and stopped in front of her and dropped his bag at their feet.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he met her lips with his. She felt his arms circle her and he held her tight.

When they broke the kiss she rested her head on his shoulder, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," he relaxed his grip a little and pulled back to run his hand over her stomach, "both of you. So tell me how're my girls doing?"

"I keep telling you it might be a boy," she giggled as she rested her hand on his.

"Don't believe you; I think it will be a girl just like you." He seized her lips again in a smouldering kiss, stopping her from answering back, his hands moving to cup her face and graze his fingers down her neck. Hearing her moan he slowly released her. "You really have missed me and I guess we should get out of here so I can satisfy my woman."

"I shouldn't tell you then about your replacement and the things he can do to me."

He raised his eyebrows at her and tried to give her a serious look as he stroked his fingers down her neck again. "He'd better watch his back then or I'll have him scrubbing the ship with a toothbrush."

She laughed, "threats, that's all it is, he's not one of your minions you can push around."

"No he just escaped I'll have to ask Megan to deal with him instead. I'll have my hands full with Hammersley's new recruits."

"How?"

"I'll tell you everything, let's get out of here first, where are we going?"

"The ranch, I've got the weekend free, then I'm at NAVCOM next week after that I start my Maternity Leave."

"I like the sound of that." He kissed her again before taking his bag and wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her to the exit. "I saw Mum and Dad while I was in Canberra, they came to visit, they send their love and can't wait to come up and see the ranch."

"I know, I thought they might come up for Christmas, did you invite them?"

"No, well I did but they thought we would like to be on our own, and honestly I don't mind. They said they would come up when the baby's born." He took her hand as they left the building and headed towards the car park.

Driving up to the ranch he filled her in on the various discussions that had been held in Canberra and they talked about how to manage their time after Christmas.

The atmosphere between them was more relaxed and they talked, continuing the trend they'd started while he was away, the subjects ranging from the baby to his mission to the ranch and everything in between.

Later as he sorted through his bag and unpacked, Elena was sitting on the bed watching him. They had been talking about the future of the ranch and what they wanted to do with it now that most of the renovation work was completed. She noted the pause as he withdrew an envelope from his bag, before sitting on the edge of the bed and resting his hand on her thigh.

"Last week I wasn't sure if I should give you these, but I think they might help you and Jess." She slowly took the envelope he held out, and glanced between it and him wondering what it could contain. "While we were in Parlarzar the villagers were really welcoming and before we were picked up by the British Forces the doctor took us out into the desert and showed us this place," his eyes never left hers when he spoke and she slowly removed the contents.

One by one she studied the handful of photos, unable to voice any questions or coherent thoughts allowing him to continue. "Someone from the village goes out there every week and lays poppies at the memorial, I met an old woman there, with the Doctor's limited English I got the gist of what she said, that the village didn't used to be the way it is now, it used to be a beautiful peaceful place and they hoped that one day when the fighting stops that the families of the men who died will be able to visit and feel welcome and know that the real villagers also mourned for those who died, on both sides."

Elena still held the photos. "What was it like?" she asked finally looking up.

"Quiet, with adequate water it could be an oasis, but the infrastructure isn't there, the surroundings look greener because it was the wet season, but most of the year it's desert."

Elena looked at the photos again it wasn't what she had pictured in her mind and something about the thoughtfulness of the villagers seemed somehow to give her peace, "thank you, it helps to make sense of what we were told about where things took place that night and I had wondered if it was just the militia or whether the village were involved too. I'm glad you showed me."

She crawled across the bed and onto his lap and hugged him.

….

The following day the party was in full swing, a banner spread across the back of the house with a large welcome home message, as the celebrations were scattered between the lounge, kitchen and yard. As usual, Swain, Mike and Charge had taken control and were organising the barbeque while Kate and Sally issued instructions. Chloe was revelling in the chance to ride one of the ponies around the paddock under the watchful eye of Bob, the ranch manager. Dutchy was standing with the men sipping a beer while they discussed various topics and he caught up on their stories for the last 6 months. He glanced at his watch and realised it had been a while since Elena had disappeared to get the food for the barbeque.

Hearing a baby cry he turned to see Sally, now standing on the porch with Serena and talking to Elena; he waved to her when he caught her eye. She obviously made her excuses as she walked towards the group, handing over the tray of food before he was able to wrap his arms around her.

"There's my girls. How are you doing honey?"

"I'm fine and stop giving your son a complex," she chided digging her elbow into his side playfully.

"So you know it's a boy then?" Charge asked looking as if everyone had kept it a secret from him.

"No," Dutchy answered quickly.

"We don't know, we want to be surprised, but Dylan seems to think that we're having a girl," Elena explained.

"Now you see that's what confuses me, I thought a man like you would want a son," Charge added.

"As long as they're both okay, I don't care," Dutchy answered, before kissing the side of her head.

A loud whistle behind them drew their attention and Kate stood on a stool in the centre of the group.

"Hear there, Captain speaking! I would like to interrupt things for just a minute or two as I have a few announcements to make." Kate's voice travelled over the now silent crowd and she started by welcoming Dutchy home and threatening him with various disagreeable options should he decide to go anywhere without Elena ever again. After a brief pause to ensure everyone was listening again she continued, "I have just received a message from Canberra; the announcement came out a short while ago about the promotions boards. Many of you already know that Lieutenant Matthews will be assuming the CO's job on Kingston in March when she returns from Watson's Bay at that point Petty Officer Blade will join us from Kingston, unfortunately it also means that we will say goodbye to Charlie, although he won't be going far, in fact just as far as Kingston in order to fill the open gap they'll have. I now have the pleasure in announcing that the successor for Lieutenant Matthews on Hammersley will be former Petty Officer now Lieutenant Mulholland. Congratulations Dutchy."

Those that knew him already cheered and the remaining crew who had been invited to share the afternoon strained their necks to get a better look at their new divisional officer. He tightened his arms around Elena and kissed her in full view of everyone and grinned as more cheers were raised.

"Finally I am sad to report we will also be losing another crew member, Charge has decided that Navy ships are too clean these days and that his heart lies in the old ones where you need on occasion to get your hands dirty. Of course a little Bird told me that there is another reason that it's taking him all the way to Western Australia and we wish him and Lani all the best."

After a brief toast, raised by Mike to conclude everything the guests resumed their earlier conversations and the festivities went on until after dark.

* * *

_I know in reality he wouldn't get to Lieutenant that fast, but this is fiction. Let me know what you think.  
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___Posted: 23 July 12_


	55. First Anniversary

_This is the penultimate chapter, with a little reflection on the past and a hint at the future. Hope you enjoy.  
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**Part 54 - First Anniversary**

Dutchy stood on the boat deck watching the ship's wake snake behind them as they cruised towards Cairns. He was looking forward to getting home and taking some leave. His duty watch had just ended and he was taking a few minutes to gather his thoughts before their arrival, which this time out felt a little strange as he wasn't the one directly dishing out the orders to the cable party. It hadn't been a long trip, just a week to deliver supplies to north Queensland after a storm brought down trees across the road and rail lines that normally served them and clearly nothing like the storm surges of the year before; somehow it made him reflect on the way his life had changed. Thinking back he finally smiled, he wasn't big on dates or anniversaries, but this one was special, it was exactly a year since he had met her and he planned to celebrate with her once he got home. He had planned it all, the table was booked at their little restaurant up the coast and she should have already received the flowers, the rest would depend on how she was feeling with their baby's arrival only a few days away.

His new role had come with an additional 2 year service contract, which had been back dated to 6 months earlier, at the time it had been a good decision, but now he was wondering if he could make things work. His return from the covert ops mission hadn't been what he had expected and the time they'd been apart had put a strain on their relationship. His return from Canberra had seen things settle down and the friction and unease that seemed to hang over them when he first returned had gone now; spending time alone at the ranch over Christmas had played a big part in that. January had been and gone, most of which they had spent in Sydney, living with his parents while he was doing the intensive training Kate had referred to while Elena had been able to spend time with Jess and Nikki, having been cleared by doctors to make the journey with him. They had returned the week before and he was facing the end of his first tour as XO, something he hadn't really thought about before, but a lot of things had changed in the last year, according to his friends for the better and a large part of it was due to Elena and the fact they were now a united team. Maybe that explained why he'd missed her more this time out.

He looked at his phone and pressed a speed dial, but cancelled it when he realised how early it was. He couldn't wake her up yet. He glanced up at the bridge and wished that they could be home now. A feeling that hadn't exactly left him this rotation and he wondered if it had anything to do with the other changes Hammersley had seen in the last few months. 2-Dads and Bomber had split for good and he'd been reassigned to frigates, Charge had left the Navy and was enjoying life getting his hands dirty as a mining engineer in Western Australia, where he was living with Lani. Bird had left for extended training in Sydney to further her career as a Medic. Swain was leaving soon to return to the police, so he was at home more now that they had their hands full with 2 children. It would leave him, Kate and RO as the old guard and he knew Kate's career would be changing direction soon. She had finally moved in with Mike while he was in Afghanistan and put the horrors of the terrorist bomb plot behind her, he didn't expect it to be long before they announced their wedding or a baby, maybe even both. Whatever they did he was happy for them and hoped that after playing piggy in the middle for most of the tours when they were after the terrorists he would be left out of their disputes, should they have any.

The phone ringing in his pocket drew his attention and he pulled it out, "Elena?" He tried not to sound anxious as he greeted her.

"_Good morning sailor."_ He let her soft voice wash over him as he smiled. _"Thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful."_

"I'm sorry honey, they were supposed to arrive later, I wanted you to be able to sleep in."

"_I wasn't sleeping, I think we're too excited to see you, what time do you think you'll be in?"_ She sounded calm and it helped the butterflies in his stomach settle. He was getting used to it now every time she called. His immediate thought was always that she was phoning to say she was in labour and she usually greeted him with a denial and he realised that she hadn't said anything yet.

"Is anything happening?"

"_Not yet, I'm sure baby Mulholland is waiting for Daddy to be home first."_ He could imagine her running her hand across her swollen belly as she talked. _"So when will you be in?" _He didn't answer right away as her words swirled in his head, baby Mulholland, was due to make his or her appearance soon and then it would become a reality, the dream that had kept him going in Afghanistan was almost upon him, albeit rather quicker than he had expected at the time. In a few days he would be Daddy to a new fragile human life, one that they were both responsible for, it was a momentously scary thought. His silence must have unnerved her, because she was calling him. "_Dylan? Are you alright? Talk to me, you are coming home aren't you?"_

He sighed heavily, "we're coming home, it'll be about an hour, then it will take me a while to finish my reports and go with the boss to NAVCOM, so may be another hour or two."

"_Okay, Sally's bringing Chloe down to meet the ship, she's picking me up on the way. We'll see you when you get in." _She sounded calm but there was an edge to her voice, one that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, he wasn't sure this close to the birth that it was such a good idea for her to be down at the dockyard.

"You don't have to come down, stay at home and put your feet up." He encouraged carefully, not wanting to antagonise her although he didn't hold out much hope for her paying him any attention.

"_Dylan, I'm bored, I need a distraction, everything here is ready for the baby, you don't want me go to the ranch on my own and I'm not working, it will be good for me to get out, Sally and Chloe will be with me the whole time."_

"Okay, just be careful." It was better to give in gracefully; after all when he was at home she'd have less chance to argue as he would be able to keep an eye on her for himself.

"_I will, don't worry."_

The fact that Sally would be with her eased his mind a lot, at least she would have someone keeping an eye out that knew the signs if anything happened before he got home. He smiled, he knew she was finding things tough the last few weeks, he had the distraction of the mission they'd just completed, but she had been stuck at home a lot on her own. "Alright, I'm not going to argue today."

"_Good, now I'd better let you go and maybe you can finish some of your reports before you dock, save yourself some time, then we can spend the rest of the day together."_

"What are you thinking?" He asked, a smile crossing his face again as he wondered what she had planned.

"_Wait until you get here." _He could hear the smile and taunt in her voice, he'd made plans, if she had too he hoped their plans didn't clash and that they'd still be able to go to dinner. He really wanted this to be special.

…..

Sally watched as Elena slowly made her way to the car, it wasn't until she stopped next to the open door that she realised why things had seemed off as she watched her friend leave the house.

"How long's that been happening?" Sally asked when Elena finally got into the car.

"A couple of hours, but don't panic, we've still got time to meet the ship and have lunch. Isn't it usually 18 hours or so for a first one?" Elena answered lightly.

"Usually, how far apart are the contractions?" Sally wasn't entirely convinced by Elena's laidback attitude; she suspected there was a lot more going on that she wasn't admitting. She could understand why, the only person she had wanted around her when she first went into labour with Chloe had been her husband; also things had taken a while to get moving. Elena's answer to her question would indicate how long they might realistically have.

"I'm not sure, 5-10 minutes, maybe."

Sally bit back the exclamation and the smile and turned on her best discipline mum face, "Elena, where's your bag? I think it would be good to take it with us, just to be on the safe side." Sally got out of the car and reached back in to take the keys from Elena.

"Inside the door. You really think this is necessary?" Elena didn't seem to have yet grasped that things were already moving and she would need pain relief and medical attention before too long. Sally tried to remain reassuring while working out how to tell Elena she was going to ring the ship.

"I do, trust me I've been through it twice now, I think I have a little experience. I'm going to ring the ship too and ask for him to be dismissed as soon as they dock."

"No!" Elena squealed. "Don't say anything," she stopped, "you tell him I'm in labour and he'll freak out, Sally please, we'll be there in 20 minutes, they're already pulling alongside we've got time."

Sally paused for a few seconds every instinct she had said otherwise, but she didn't want Elena freaking out on her so she decided that watch carefully and wait might be the safer option for all concerned at that moment. "Alright, but I'm calling Chris to make sure he's gets Dutchy off the boat as soon as we get there." It was a vague attempt at a compromise, one which Elena finally agreed to so she walked up to the house flipping open her phone and dialling the ship.

…..

Kate was in her cabin packing up when there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she called and Swain opened the door and stuck his head in.

"Can I have a word boss?"

"Come in, what is it? I thought we'd covered everything before we docked."

"We did, I just had a call from Sally, she's on her way with Elena, thinks it might be a good idea if Dutchy was to meet them and be ready to leave when they get here."

"The baby?" Kate asked, picking up on the subtle hint.

Swain smiled and nodded, "sounds like it, seems she's been having contractions for a couple of hours, but she's stubborn and is still insisting on being here and telling him in person."

"Okay, ask him to report to me at the rush, let's make sure he doesn't have to stay on board longer than necessary, I'll handle reporting to NAVCOM and get him signed off. You can go too, it sounds like you might be dropping them at the hospital."

Swain acknowledged the instruction and quickly disappeared. A few minutes later Dutchy stuck his head round the door.

"You wanted to see me Boss."

"Everything in hand?" she asked, assessing his mood.

"Yeah, Razor's finishing off with the cable party, I just need to sign off a few reports and change and I'll be good to go."

"Fine, do that, then you're dismissed. I'll manage NAVCOM, I hear Elena's coming down to meet you and that you've been spending time setting up a few things to surprise her with today, something special?"

"Yeah, it is, … it's a year since she arrived in Cairns and we met, I'm taking her out for dinner, probably our last chance before the baby comes."

Kate smiled at his look. "Well go enjoy it. I hear Sally and Chloe are there too, so Swain's leaving with you. I'll get Razor to follow up anything else."

"You sure Boss, Elena knows I won't be ready-"

"Make the most of it while I'm in a good mood." He gave her a beaming smile and disappeared with a quick thank you. Kate smiled after him, hoping that he was too busy thinking about the anniversary plans to worry about what else might prompt the concessions she had just granted.

…..

Elena leant against the car and rubbed her stomach as the contraction assaulted her. They were getting stronger now and she hoped it wouldn't be much longer before he could get away otherwise she would be forced to text him and break the news, at least he was nearby, so it wouldn't be so bad.

"Daddy!" squealed Chloe as she ran over to the gangway as Swain and Dutchy emerged on deck.

Sally watched her to make sure that Swain had seen her then she turned back to Elena, "how are you doing?"

"Good until the next one," Elena sighed, her eyes fixed on the father of her baby as he casually left the ship, his sunglasses perched on top of his head. Sally's calm reassurance at her side, was welcome, but all she wanted now was his arms around her and something to take the edge off the pain.

"Well I hate to rush you, but that one was 3 minutes," she said, checking her watch. "I'll let you tell him then we've got to get you to the hospital, this baby's not sticking to 18 hours." Sally walked towards Swain and Chloe as Dutchy greeted her as he reached Elena.

"Hey," Elena threw her arms around his neck and hung on as he dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around her. "You're shaking honey, what's up?"

Elena tightened her grip as she fought the sudden wave of emotion that surged through her as she felt the start of another contraction.

"Elena?" he drew her arms from his neck and put a little space between them as he cupped her face and gazed into her eyes.

"I hope you haven't planned anything special for tonight," she answered, careful to keep her breathing steady.

"Actually I have, I wasn't going to say until later, but I know you'd be guessing and I don't want to stress you- Elena?" He stopped when she moaned a little and gripped his hands, pulling them from her face as she leant back against the car.

"Think .. you'd better … cancel," she wheezed as she raised her eyes to meet his, giving herself something to focus on. "Someone doesn't want to wait."

"You mean- … It's time?" she couldn't help smiling at his shocked expression, knowing that once he recovered he was likely to start ranting about why she wasn't in hospital already.

"We need to go now." She answered through the pain that was starting to peak.

She watched him for a few seconds and was a little relieved when Sally appeared at their side.

"I hate to break up the reunion, but you two need to be at the hospital."

Swain scooped up Dutchy's bag and dropped it with his own in the boot, then expertly ushered Chloe into her seat, while Dutchy helped Elena into the car. She was grateful that the hospital wasn't that far away.

…..

It was a tight space but Dutchy squeezed into the back seat with Elena and Chloe who was securely strapped into her car seat. HE wrapped an arm around Elena's shoulder while he rested a hand on the bump, whispering in her ear to keep her grounded. "You're doing fine honey, we're doing this together."

His whispered words were stifled as a low moan of agony seemed to grow inside her as another contraction hit. He glance out the window and was relieve to see they were leaving the Naval Yard. He had been oblivious to the family in the car with them until he heard Chloe's curious voice as she looked at her mother in the passenger seat. "Mummy why is Aunty Elena crying?"

"It's okay sweetie, you remember Mummy had tummy pains before Serena arrived? Elena's having her baby, so we're taking them to the hospital and later I'll bring you back to visit." Dutchy listened, as he watched the different emotions cross Elena's face and her hand rubbed circles on her tummy.

"Can we buy the new baby a present and balloons too?" Chloe's excited voice demanded.

"I'm sure we can, maybe Daddy and you can go shopping while I get Serena from Aunt Becca." Sally had answered, explaining the absence of their other child.

"Yay! Daddy you can take me to the big balloon shop that Aunty Elena tooked me too when you and Mummy were at the hospital waiting for the doctor to find my sister." Dutchy couldn't help smiling at the 5 year old's antics and enthusiasm or noting the proud look in Swain's eyes as he answered her. He wondered if he'd ever have that bond with his child.

"I'm sure I can baby."

Swain pulled into the emergency bay at the hospital and was quickly out of the car calling instructions to a couple of porters nearby as Dutchy and Sally also got out. Dutchy noted Elena's eyes were fixed on the clock on the dashboard and he wondered what was going through her mind. When she looked between him and the clock he realised that she was watching the time, he suddenly realised she was trying to work out if she had enough time to get out of the car before another contraction gripped her. With a brief glance at Sally he made the decision for her and effortlessly scooped her out and into a wheelchair that had appeared at his side. A blanket was draped around her shoulders and another across her lap as Sally wished them well before they were escorted inside.

* * *

_At the beginning I envisaged this as about 15 chapters, but it took on a life of its own and has now reached a natural close. I miss writing SP so maybe the vague idea I have for a new story may take shape and appear somewhere in the future.  
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_The Epilogue is next and I'll warn you there is a time jump for my final chapter. Let me know what you think and I'll post the reward for your thoughts.  
_


	56. Epilogue

_This finally got pulled together with huge thanks to Open Hearts Catch Dreams who has injected a bit of a different style in places. The last few scenes underwent too many re-writes to count. I hope you enjoy … and by the way it is longer than my other chapters too._

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**Part 55 - Epilogue**

Loose strands of hay blew across the open corral with the light summer breeze. The earth had dried out quickly after the overnight rain, leaving partially visible horses hoof prints on the paths from the meadow. The ranch was quiet. With all the horses out and the cattle in fresh pastures, the family had time to simply be. A moment of calm before the chaos began and everyone arrived for a Hammersley reunion and a birthday party.

Elena stood by the entrance to the huge barn with Goose, a proud Medicine Hat tovero gelding. He'd been brought in to be shod and was not entirely happy with being kept from the free running herd in the far meadow. To appease him until the loose shoe was fixed, Elena had cross tied him in the entry way and settled in to give him a good brush down; something he enjoyed very much no matter what else he might be missing.

A cool breeze blew through the barn from one open entrance to another and the smell of warm hay and oats was carried to the quiet pair, inducing a drug like haze that was entirely too relaxing. Especially now that Elodie was old enough to unlock the back door on her own and let herself into the corral.

Elena welcomed the reprieve from constant supervision, knowing that for the next two hours; the three horrors, also known as their children, were Dutchy's responsibility.

And that was the secret to surviving motherhood. Hand off all attached children to a third party while you hide in the barn and groom your horse. But even though thinking it felt like being a little free, the reality was not as easy, and she could still see the three children from her shady spot.

A plump flaxen chestnut Shetland was tethered loosely to the post in the centre of the corral, his thick mane hiding his eyes. Elodie was sat happily on the floor directly behind him, and while one could argue allowing it was bad parenting, Elena knew Savvy well enough to know it would take a nuke going off before he so much as shifted his stubborn little hooves. Elodie's tiny, clumsy fingers were patiently prying at strands of Savvy's thick blonde tail, winding it surely into a lopsided, uneven plait. Lucy stood at the little pony's neck, only just able to see over his rounded withers and was happily brushing away with a large dandy brush. Her slender build and arms didn't have the muscle power to use the brush firmly enough, and it was probably tickling the Shetland something fierce, but he stood resolute, munching away on the hay net before him. Elena had often thought Savvy to be incredibly patient and forgiving, but lately she'd begun to wonder if he was just too lazy to move away from the children's attentions.

She turned her attention back to Goose, she'd always found brushing a horse was relaxing. Methodical strokes, follow the coat, breathe in, breathe o-

"Zachary! Give it back!"

Elena closed her eyes, the voice of her oldest daughter breaking through the warm haze.

"No!" her son yelled in response, further shattering her peace and quiet. She leant around Goose, the brush stilling against his shoulder.

Zach, at just four years old, looked so much like his father that Elena sometimes had to stop herself from calling him Dylan.

He was standing by the open gate of the corral, untidy hair tousled from the breeze and, quite likely, also from whichever hay bale he had decided to climb today. At least this time he'd managed to get down from it in the same state of physical health as he had been getting on it. With Zach, it was not always a given.

He was clutching the dandy brush Lucy had been using close to his chest and wearing the kind of smirk that promised you would still be annoyed and scowling when dinner time came. It was a smirk every girl who had a younger brother knew all too well.

Lucy was brandishing a small hoof pick at him, her delicate features – similar to her mother's, though she had her father's eyes – set into a dark scowl. Elodie's fingers still clutched at the tangled weave she had made of Savvy's tail, but they were still, her small, round face bearing an expression of uncertainty and her large eyes shining. The tiny three year old did not like her siblings arguing near her and Elena found that she could forestall most feuds between her older two if she kept an eye out for the littlest one racing from a room with her hands pressed to her ears. Just as it seemed Elodie would burst into tears and Lucy would throw the hoof pick at Zach, Dylan stepped around the corner of the house, his tool box in hand and over-shirt knotted about his waist.

"Daddy!" Lucy yelled the instant she'd spotted him. Zach shot her a dark look, dropped the brush and his fingers instantly began toying with the hem of his Spiderman t-shirt. "Daddy, Zach took the brush I was using!"

Dutchy sighed, set the tool box down and snatched Zach up as he made his way into the corral at an easy walk.

Elena didn't notice a soft smile settle on her own features as she continued to watch the scene before her.

"Zach," Dylan said gently, crouching and placing Zach on his knee. "You know not to take things your sister is using. What do you say?"

The small boy squirmed, avoiding his father's eyes.

"Oh, well then," Dylan said brightly. "You know people who can't apologise have to sit in the kitchen to eat their dinner."

Zach scrunched his nose in distaste. The kitchen, nice as it was, all of the children thought was creepy late in the evening when it was supper time. It had the older, country feel to it and it looked out onto one of the old paddocks which desperately needed to be de-weeded. The fridge issued a quiet whirring noise and there was the slight whistle of wind that passed right by the back door.

"I'm sorry," he forced out petulantly, looking at the ground.

Lucy sniffed and turned to Savvy's neck, using her small fingers to flatten his thick mane some more.

"Lucy," Dylan said, in the same low, chiding tone. "What have we told you about yelling at your brother?"

"Well he doesn't listen if I don't," she said quickly, talking to the Shetland pony.

"I am not dead," Zach jumped in adamantly, closing his hands into tiny fists.

"Deaf, Zach," Dylan corrected, trying to hide his smile. "There you go. Zach, you listen to your sister and Lucy, you don't yell at him. Does that sound fair?" reluctantly, they both nodded. "Now what do you say?"

Lucy let out a large breath. "But-"

"No buts. Come on. You all lost Mud Pie today; let's try not to fight for a while?"

"Sorry," Lucy muttered. Having forced that out, she turned from the Shetland to look at her father with bright eyes. "Is Mud Pie in heaven, now, Daddy?"

Dylan nodded sympathetically, "yes. He's in heaven."

"No he's not!"

Dylan started at the tiny voice of Elodie. Her features were set determinedly. "He bit me. He went to that other place," she looked around, as though one of the fence posts might be listening. "_The bad one_," she whispered.

"No he did not!" Zach said, leaping off his dad's lap. "He's in heaven. He only bit you because you held him too tight."

"Can we have another hamster, Daddy? Can I get one for my birthday?" Lucy interrupted. Zach and Elodie fell silent, both turning to look at him in anticipation.

It seemed as if Zach was about to complain, but their father quickly stalled any further discussion as he sighed. "How about if you lot can make it to dinner time with no more arguments, I will try to persuade your mother?"

The three children traded looks until Elodie nodded sharply and said in a tiny voice. "I want to call him Sparkle."

Zach's expression of outrage told Dylan this was probably not going to last.

…..

Dylan's idea of a quiet two hours supervising the three horrors quickly exploded into several more heated debates between the children as he worked nearby. All of them had inherited their parents' stubbornness and the older two never backed down easily from an argument. The one over the dandy brush was minor to the one that erupted over the naming of a possible new hamster. What surprised him most though was that for the first time, Elodie seemed to stand her ground against her older siblings. Until now she had been the baby, but in the last few weeks he'd noticed a change in her. He just dreaded the moment when she started fighting back, especially with Zach.

While peace reigned for a few minutes he collected his tools from fixing a broken hinge on the corral gate and headed towards the barn to store them safely and noticed Elena hand off Goose to one of their ranch hands to return him to the field. She waited for him to join her.

"Why are they such angels for you, but when I'm in charge World War Three breaks out?"

"Because they know they can't get round me as easily," he saw the look of triumph cross her face as she had a playful dig at his parenting skills.

"They get round you just as easily, they just have me to do it for them," he grinned as he replied, knowing full well that if they got him on side Elena didn't stand a chance at saying no. "Lucy wants a new hamster for her birthday and Elodie insists on calling him Sparkle, you probably heard Zach's reply."

"I think we should wait a while before we bring any more animals into this house. They've already named half the herd and the chickens, not to mention the rat that's been lurking recently. Which, by the way, you were going to set a trap for."

"I did a couple of days ago, every time I think I've found the way it gets in he abandons it and finds a new one. I'll ask Dad to pick up some extra traps when he goes into Port Douglas for the feed tomorrow."

"Are we all set for the invasion? I hope so, because I've got no more energy to go in search of pink bunting or fairy cakes to placate the girls," she responded as she turned to clear up after the farrier.

They fell quiet for a minute while he stowed his tool-box in the cupboard, so high up that even Lucy using a frayed schooling whip or Zach climbing onto an old saddle rack could still not hope to reach. Dylan had a sneaking suspicion that Elodie would manage to get her tiny fingers on the box first, but it was not a day he was looking forward to. At all.

He knew it had been quite a strain on Elena recently managing the reunion of his old crew and their families, especially doing most of it alone while he was off completing his annual Naval Reserve duties. It still kept him in touch with his former life, but he didn't regret the decision he had made after Elodie was born, to give up full time Navy life for one raising their family at the ranch. The place was thriving and it had grown more since his parents moved up to help out a couple of years before. Bob and Jean, the ranch managers in his father in law's time, had retired then, which had further prompted their move north. It also gave them a chance to spend more time with their Grandchildren which they loved.

He locked the cupboard and turned to watch Elena, she had given up the Navy after Zach was born, but like him kept her ties by joining the Naval Reserve, it meant they were separated for a couple of months a year, unless they were fortunate that their duties coincided.

She seemed oblivious to his observation, but didn't seem surprised when he removed the broom from her hand and spun her around, wrapping his arms around her. Things hadn't been easy for them at the beginning and either of them could have walked away, but they always seemed drawn to each other and now 8 years later, they were a strong united team, something that was needed often when the children tested their patience.

He picked a strand of hay from her hair and smiled at her. "You been climbing the hay bales again after Zach?"

"Not this time," she answered simply, offering no further explanation, although he guessed there was one. He gave her one of his quizzical looks and she caved, "Elodie."

The thought of his youngest doing something so dangerous scared him, "but she can't even see over one."

"She's growing up, she must have followed Zach, I found an upturned bucket at the bottom, which he swears he never put there, so she must have done it. Don't give me that look, I've been telling you for months that she's bright, give it a little bit longer and our baby will be showing up her older siblings," Elena answered while running her fingers across the crease that had appeared on his forehead.

"We can't leave them alone for a minute," he sighed.

"Which makes me wonder why it's so quiet now." Elena peered around him to the corral which was now empty except for a partially brushed Savvy, who was absently munching at the hay net.

Dutchy drew her attention back to him. "Mum called them in to get drinks and more sun cream; I figure we've got about half an hour for just you and me."

A shrill scream shattered the quiet air and they both turned to see Elodie racing towards them, her pigtails bouncing on her shoulders. "Daddy! Zachy calleded me Celery again," she cried as she ran straight to him and he scooped her up, her little arms wrapping tightly around his neck.

While he attempted to calm her down and dry her tears, he heard Elena sigh, "you'll have to talk to him about that. When he was little and couldn't say her name it was one thing, but now he just does it to tease her."

"Alright, Elodie, I'll talk to him," he reassured his daughter, rubbing her back gently as her sobs eased.

"You'll make him stop?" Elodie had calmed down a little and looked up to him with awe, her eyes still holding unshed tears.

"I'll try sweetie, but if you pretend you don't mind he'll soon stop because he only does it to upset you. If you don't get upset then he doesn't get any fun out of it."

"Can I call him bad things?" she asked and he felt himself cast an agonised look at Elena.

"Tell me why we wanted three monsters," he said, knowing the response he would get; it had been a standing joke ever since they knew she was pregnant with Elodie.

Elena laughed briefly then gave him one of her coquettish smiles, "it was all your idea."

"We'll discuss that later," he answered grinning at her before leaning towards her, cupping her cheek and planting a searing kiss on her lips as Elodie's arms tightened around his neck to hold her balance at his movement.

"Zach and Lucy say kisses are yucky," Elodie's tiny voice in his ear made him pull back. Sometimes there just wasn't enough time for him and Elena anymore. Every time they found themselves alone something seemed to interrupt them and this was no exception.

"I'd better sort this out," he sighed apologetically as he planted a final kiss on Elena's lips as a plan began to form in his mind.

…..

Dutchy looked over the assembled crowd as they gathered in the back yard of the house, the barbeque was in full swing, feeding the adults while the children were under the veranda having a picnic. Lucy as the birthday girl was effectively head of the table and had organised everyone so the girls were all closest to her and the boys furthest away, not that they seemed too bothered.

It was hard to imagine that apart from Swain's girls, Chloe and Serena all the children had joined the Hammersley families in the last seven years. He glanced over his own three and then gradually picked out the others, the one to stand out was Max, he was twelve now, like Chloe and easily stood head and shoulders over the others. He had arrived six years before when Megan and Razor first fostered him and later adopted him after being taken in by social services. He had taken a long time to settle but now as he mixed with the other children he seemed at home.

Footsteps on the wooden veranda drew his attention as Mike stopped next to him.

"That's quite a haul we've got," Mike commented waving his drink in the direction of the children's tea-party.

"Sure is. I'm glad you and Kate could make it boss, having this get together is good for the kids, especially ours, they can get a little isolated here at times."

"Dutchy I'm not your boss any more, I've told you a hundred times you can drop the formality."

Dutchy grinned, "goes both ways Sir."

"Touché, I thought Kate said your predecessor was going to be here," Mike scanned the crowd. "I see his step-daughter's here."

"They arrived just before everyone else, he's taken Jessie down to the cemetery, they'll be back soon."

"It'll be good to see what he's up to now; I haven't spoken to him in a while."

Swain and Charge joined them, casting fatherly eyes over the children chatting and eating nearby.

"Looks like the feeding of the 5,000 is keeping them entertained," Charge commented as he turned from the children to join the male conversation.

"Probably for all of 5 minutes," Dutchy sighed, "although with the others here we might survive an afternoon without ours starting World War Three again."

Swain laughed, "it does get a little better when they get older."

"Depends on how old you're talking, took Jamie quite a while to come around to the fact that he's old enough to be Lola's father. Mind you it was quite a shock to my system when Lani told me, but the last 3 years have been some of the best of my life. So boss, you and the Mrs going to have any more?" Charge's estranged first family were no secret to the Hammersley crew, and it was no surprise that Jamie found the new family hard to accept.

Mike rubbed his hand through his hair and sipped his beer as if carefully considering his answer. "I don't think so Charge, two boys at 5 and 3 keep me on my toes while Kate's at sea and we're not getting any younger either."

"What about you Dylan? Think you'll go for number 4? Elena's looked pretty cosy with Ryan and Birds' baby this afternoon." Swain was the only one to call Dutchy by his real name, a feature of the way the families had remained close over the years and to a degree left the naval life behind. For some reason it still seemed natural for the others to retain their old Hammersley nicknames.

Dutchy looked over to where Kate, Sally, Bomber and Jess were standing engrossed in their own conversation. He was surprised Elena wasn't with them, but then seeing her move through the crowd towards them, he felt the smile cross his lips, "there's hardly enough time for us now, I don't think we'd cope with another one." While he denied it to his former ship mates, he secretly wondered if they should consider another, it would break up the threesome a little bit and perhaps give Elodie a playmate so she didn't have to be the middle man between Lucy and Zach all the time. He watched Elena as she walked towards them.

"Hey, there's my girl," he greeted as she stopped next to him and they wrapped their arms around each other.

"Elena, this is great. If we hadn't got this place I don't think we would have had such a good turn out," Mike acknowledged.

"Any reunion you want to hold you're welcome here, just give us the notice so we can have the cabins free for you for the weekend."

"It was a great idea, there's some great fishing in the river over there," Charge agreed.

"Not quite the one that got away though," Swain teased, a reflection back to when Charge hooked something big then lost everything when they were buzzed by a hijacked plane at sea.

Everyone laughed. Charge gritted his teeth, "Don't remind me."

…..

It was late when Kate and Elena snuck away from the crowd to check on the children. As they reached the top of the stairs they could hear the noise of excited voices from one end of the hallway while the other was quiet.

"Sounds like the little ones might be asleep," Elena stated with a relieved smile.

"I bet they'll all look cute, it's something you don't get with boys," Kate commented as they started to open the door to the youngest Mulholland's bedroom.

"I don't know," Elena whispered. "Zach can be pretty cute sometimes, although granted, not often."

"They're adorable," Kate murmured as Elena covered up Cassidy, Bomber's daughter who had kicked off her covers. "It must be good for Elodie to have someone about her own age to play with."

"It gives her a break from the older ones and the cabins wouldn't be the hit they are if wasn't for Bomber and Drew managing everything for us and helping to provide that whole ranch experience for the tourists."

Kate checked Lola as Elena kissed her daughter goodnight then they tiptoed out of the room to tackle the noisy older ones.

Deciding to divide and conquer Kate took the boys room, seeing as 2 of the 3 in there were hers and Elena opened the door to the girls' room to hear, Lucy, Serena and Nikki giggling wildly over some pin up in a magazine Chloe had left lying around. After a few brief words she was backing out the door when Lucy stopped her.

"Can we have a midnight feast?"

Elena shook her head. "Not tonight, you've already eaten enough to make you sick; I think it's time for lights out."

"But it's my Birthday; we can't have a sleepover and not have a midnight feast." Elena smiled as her daughter pouted.

"Maybe tomorrow if you're good, Kate's tucking the boys in and everyone's already asleep in Elodie's room so if you must talk keep it quiet, but you should go to sleep yourself or you'll miss the round up tomorrow."

After a few more disgruntled moans the girls allowed her to turn the lights off, except for a small one by Chloe's camp bed so that she didn't disturb them later. Finally backing out she met Kate creeping out of the boys' room.

"For once peace reigns, they must have worn themselves out today, they're all nearly asleep. I left a lamp on for Max."

"Thanks. It just leaves Charlotte on our patrol, unless Mike's been checking up on his godson's new baby daughter."

"More than likely, I'm not sure Ryan and Bird have had much of a chance to see Charlotte this afternoon with all the attention. Sorry I should be calling her Jessica, but old habits die hard."

"At least it stops her getting confused with my Jess," Elena countered rationally.

"You know that was the best move we made." Kate commented with a smile as they crept down the stairs towards the family room where Ryan and Bird had taken up residence on the pull-out couch and a travel cot sat in the corner for baby Charlotte.

"All we did was to invite them to the reunion, they did the rest themselves," responded Elena trying to make it sound less like a set up.

"Who did what?" a male voice challenged from the door way as they reached the bottom steps.

"Buff, you must have known we were talking about you and Jess," Kate greeted cheerily.

"Ah, the woman you introduced me to a couple of years back and is now my beautiful wife," he commented happily.

"The very same."

Elena kept quiet as the two bantered amicably for a minute until Buffer turned to her. "I told Jess I'd check on Nikki, is that okay?"

"We've just been in; they're starting to settle down. Maybe check on them later, any disturbance now could wake them up again."

"Buff why don't we join the others, you must owe me a dance," Kate cajoled gently as she looped her arm around his.

"For you ma'am I'll grant you that honour seeing as my wife is refusing to waddle across the dance floor with me," he answered.

"You sweet talk her right and she'll let you have the last dance even though she considers herself as big as a bus with your son." Elena felt quite proud of getting the final word in, or so she thought.

"And you're the only one she would let get away with that comment," he chuckled.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to either of you, so when is the big day expected?"

"6 weeks, you'd better come outside to hear the rest; Jessie won't forgive me if I tell you our other news without her."

"I think I already know, Nikki couldn't wait to tell us when she arrived," Elena shrugged apologetically and Buffer grinned.

"She is pretty excited," he agreed.

Wandering outside the three of them joined Dutchy and Jessie at one of the tables dotted around the yard. "How are they all doing?" Jess asked as they sat down.

*"The youngest are out, the boys nearly there and the girls might be if we don't disturb them anymore," Elena answered. "And as we haven't been able to talk all afternoon, I'd better let you know now that I've already heard about your plans."

"Nikki," Jess sighed. "Do you mind?"

"I know that Niko was her father and you've done a great job with her until now, but if it gives her more security as she grows up, especially with the new baby I don't mind as long as she's happy and the way she talked about it earlier I know she is." Elena looked around the gathered group and noticed the confused looks on Dutchy and Kate's faces. "I believe you need to let everyone else in on the conspiracy."

"No conspiracy," assured Buffer looking at Elena. "It's a big deal losing that link to your brother, if you have any concerns we won't go through with it."

"I'm not losing anything, Nikki will always be his daughter, but she's happy with her new life and you're a family now, I know you're not going to stop her from coming up here to visit so I've got nothing to worry about."

"No, you haven't, I still want you all to be a part of her life. It's important she doesn't lose that," Buffer continued, then looked across at Jessie, "which is why we're moving to Cairns. I've been reassigned to patrol boats."

Before anyone could say anything else a slight commotion had broken out on the dance floor and everyone gradually grew silent and Spider's voice rose above the murmurs which still rumbled. "Uh, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say something."

Those at the table rose and joined the crowd around Spider and the girl standing at his side with her hand held firmly in his. He looked at her and smiled before casting his eyes over his former shipmates.

"Come on Spider, spit it out, you're interrupting the party," Buffer called, as he wrapped his arms around Jessie's waist and ran his hand over the baby bump.

"Sorry Buff," Spider answered a little nervously. "The thing is, I just asked Leanne to marry me and she said yes."

A cheer rose around the crowd and soon the party was in full swing again.

Dutchy wrapped an arm around Elena and lead her onto the dance floor. As they glided around to a slow ballad he watched the look in her eyes. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"About the night we met, you promised me it would be memorable, it's definitely been that." Elena sighed, "it's not always been easy, but you know, I wouldn't change a thing."

"I told you Cinderella and the Prince worked out alright in the end," he murmured in her ear before trailing kisses down her jaw and seizing her lips in a slow smouldering kiss.

* * *

_Thank you to everyone who has been reading, if you would like details of which children belong to which parents etc let me know as there are quite a few to keep track of._


End file.
